Context: The National Health Mission has enabled achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for health in the 15 years of implementation.

Key Achievements

• It has also led to significant improvements in maternal, new-born, and child health indicators, particularly for maternal mortality ratio, infant and under five mortality rates, wherein the rates of decline in India are much higher than the global averages and these declines have accelerated during the period of implementation of NHM.
• It not only contributed to increase in the institutional capacities for service delivery but also has led to development of capacities for targeted interventions of the various National Programmes under the NHM.
• It envisages achievement of universal access to equitable, affordable & quality health care services that are accountable and responsive to people's needs.

National Health Mission

• The National Health Mission (NHM) was launched in 2013.
• It has been launched by the government of India in 2013 subsuming the National Rural Health Mission (Launched in 2005) and the National Urban Health Mission (Launched in 2013).
• The main programmatic components include Health System Strengthening in rural and urban areas - Reproductive-Maternal- Neonatal-Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A), and Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases.
• It was further extended in March 2018, to continue until March 2020.
• It is headed by Mission Director.
• It is monitored by National Level Monitors appointed by the Government of India.
• NHM support is provided to States/ UTs for setting up of new facilities as per norms and upgradation of existing facilities for bridging the infrastructure gaps based on the requirement posed by them.
• NHM support is also provided for provision of a range of free services related to maternal health, child health, adolescent health, family planning, universal immunisation programme, and for major diseases such as Tuberculosis, vector borne diseases like Malaria, Dengue and Kala Azar, Leprosy etc.

Other major initiatives supported under NHM include

• Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK): free drugs, free diagnostics, free blood and diet, free transport from home to institution, between facilities in case of a referral and drop back home is provided
• Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK): provides newborn and child health screening and early interventions services free of cost for birth defects, diseases, deficiencies and developmental delays to improve the quality of survival.
• Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) & Tele-consultation services are also being implemented to improve access to healthcare particularly in rural areas.