The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently reviewed the progress made under the National Health Mission (NHM) during FY 2021-24, highlighting significant strides in strengthening India’s healthcare sector. Launched in 2005, NHM has played a crucial role in expanding healthcare infrastructure, improving maternal and child health outcomes, tackling communicable and non-communicable diseases, and ensuring healthcare access to the most vulnerable sections of society.

 

Over the last three years, NHM has been instrumental in deploying additional healthcare workers, managing the COVID-19 vaccination drive, reducing disease burden, and enhancing primary healthcare facilities. The mission’s impact is reflected in India’s remarkable progress in maternal and child mortality rates, tuberculosis (TB) eradication, malaria and kala-azar control, sickle cell anaemia screening, and dialysis support for chronic kidney patients. With a strong push toward universal health coverage and digital health solutions, NHM continues to be a cornerstone of India’s public health strategy.

 

Strengthening Healthcare Workforce: A Massive Expansion

 

A well-trained and adequately staffed healthcare workforce is fundamental to delivering quality healthcare. NHM has significantly enhanced India’s healthcare human resource capacity by engaging over 12 lakh additional healthcare workers between FY 2021-24.

 

Expansion of Medical Personnel

 

Between FY 2021-22 and 2023-24, NHM facilitated the engagement of over 12 lakh healthcare professionals, including:

• General Duty Medical Officers (GDMOs)

• Specialists

• Staff nurses and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs)

• AYUSH doctors

• Allied healthcare professionals and public health managers

 

Additionally, Community Health Officers (CHOs)—who serve as the backbone of healthcare services in rural areas—were significantly recruited. The number of CHOs engaged rose to 1.38 lakh in FY 2023-24, ensuring a stronger healthcare presence in primary and community health centres across the country.

 

COVID-19 Response: 220 Crore Vaccine Doses Administered

 

The NHM framework played a pivotal role in India’s COVID-19 response, particularly in vaccine administration and emergency preparedness. Under NHM, the country successfully administered over 220 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses between 2021-24, making it one of the largest and fastest immunisation drives in history.

 

This was further reinforced by the India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Package (ECRP), which provided financial and technical assistance to states to strengthen hospital infrastructure, medical oxygen supply, ICU beds, and diagnostics capabilities.

 

Maternal and Child Health: India Surpasses Global Averages in Mortality Rate Reduction

 

NHM has been instrumental in reducing maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, showcasing faster progress than global averages.

 

Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)

 

India’s MMR declined by 83% since 1990, significantly higher than the global average decline of 45%. Between 2014-16 and 2018-20, MMR dropped from 130 to 97 per lakh live births, reflecting strong maternal health interventions under NHM.

 

Infant and Under-5 Mortality Rates

 

India’s under-five mortality rate (U5MR) has declined by 75% since 1990, outpacing the global reduction of 60%. The U5MR dropped from 45 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 32 in 2020, driven by intensified neonatal care programs, institutional deliveries, and better nutrition policies.

 

Meanwhile, the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has dropped from 39 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 28 in 2020. India is on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in maternal and child health well ahead of 2030.

 

Tackling Infectious Diseases: TB, Malaria, Kala-Azar & More

 

Tuberculosis Eradication Efforts

 

Under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), TB incidence has seen a substantial reduction:

            •           TB incidence declined from 237 per 1,00,000 population in 2015 to 195 in 2023.

            •           TB mortality rate fell from 28 per 1,00,000 in 2015 to 22 in 2023.

 

The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan has strengthened the fight against TB, with 1.56 lakh Ni-kshay Mitra volunteers supporting over 9.4 lakh TB patients.

 

Malaria Control and Kala-Azar Elimination

 

NHM’s malaria control initiatives have led to a significant reduction in malaria cases and deaths over the years. Kala-Azar elimination has been another major success, with 100% of endemic blocks achieving the target of fewer than one case per 10,000 population by 2023.

 

Primary Healthcare Expansion: Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and Digital Health Initiatives

 

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs: Expanding Primary Healthcare Access

 

NHM has significantly expanded primary healthcare infrastructure by establishing 1.72 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandir Centers across the country. These centres are crucial in delivering essential medical services, including maternal care, vaccination, and diagnostics at the grassroots level.

 

U-WIN: Revolutionizing Vaccination Tracking

 

The U-WIN digital platform, launched under NHM, is transforming vaccination tracking across India. This initiative ensures real-time tracking of pregnant women, infants, and children receiving vaccinations, reducing immunisation gaps.

 

Measles-Rubella Vaccination: 97.98% Coverage Achieved

 

NHM successfully achieved 97.98% coverage in the Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign, reducing the risk of these preventable diseases among children.

 

Addressing Chronic Diseases: Sickle Cell Anemia & Dialysis Program

 

Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission

 

The National Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission has screened over 2.61 crore individuals in tribal areas, identifying and managing cases to prevent severe health complications. The mission is crucial in India’s goal of eliminating sickle cell disease by 2047.

 

Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP)

 

The NHM-backed Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) has benefited over 4.53 lakh dialysis patients in FY 2023-24 alone, providing life-saving hemodialysis services for kidney patients at subsidised rates.

 

Looking Ahead: NHM’s Role in India’s Health Future

 

The National Health Mission (NHM) has been pivotal in revolutionising India’s healthcare system, making affordable and accessible healthcare a reality for millions. From expanding healthcare infrastructure and human resources to achieving breakthroughs in disease control and maternal-child health, NHM has demonstrated remarkable success over the past three years.

 

Moving forward, NHM’s continued focus on disease eradication, expanding digital health services, and strengthening rural healthcare infrastructure will ensure that India meets its health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) well before the 2030 deadline.

 

With strong policy initiatives and strategic implementation, NHM remains India’s most powerful instrument for public health transformation, making healthcare more inclusive, efficient, and future-ready.