Health expenditure in India

Families pushed into poverty due to health expenses

• Around 7.5 crore families are pushed into poverty by health expenses each year. This is one-third of the global number.

• We also need to rethink fast to increase the health expenditure as a percentage of the GDP.

• The government claims that the out-of-pocket expenditure dropped from 64.2 per cent to 48.2 per cent in five years (2014-19),

• While the share of government health expenditure increased from 28.6 per cent to 40.6 per cent during the same period.

• Worldwide, the out-of-pocket expenses on health are just 18 per cent.

Expenditure as GDP%

• It is less than 2 per cent, far lower than in developed countries (as high as 16.5 per cent).

• Our country is not even among the first 50 nations in terms of health spend as a share of the GDP.

15th Finance Commission - 2.5% target by 2025

• The 15th Finance Commission had recommended that public health expenditure of the Union and the states together should be increased in a progressive manner to reach 2.5 per cent of the GDP by 2025.

Tribune India

March 2025

International Women's Day

• Life expectancy of women increased to 71.4 years and expected to reach 74.7 years by 2031 - 2036

• The female and male faculty ratio increased from 63 to 77 per 100 male faculty.

• Female enrolment in higher education is approximately 50% of the total students enrolled in higher education in 2021 - 2022.

• The participation of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) field stands at 42.57% of the total STEM enrolment.

  

April 2025

e Health in India

Aarogya Setu app - National Health App

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

• 76 crore+ ABHA accounts created (as of Apr 5, 2025).

• 5.95 lakh+ verified healthcare professionals.

• 3.86 lakh+ verified health facilities.

• 52 crore+ health records linked.

U - WIN portal

• fully digitised record of vaccination under UIP (Universal Immunization Programme).

• tracks immunization for pregnant women and children (0-16 years)

• 7.9 crore beneficiaries registered (as of Dec 15, 2024).

• 1.32 crore vaccination sessions enabled.

• 29.22 crore vaccine doses tracked.

- Tele MANAS (Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States)

• 14416 or
• 1800 - 891 - 4416

- eSanjeevani Telemedicine

• National Telemedicine Service

• world's largest telemedicine platform for primary care.

• 36 crore+ teleconsultations provided (as of Apr 6, 2025).

• 2.32 lakh+ providers onboarded.

• 1.31 lakh+ spokes, 17,051 hubs.

• 130 specialties operational.

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

• a unified digital health ecosystem to securely connect patients, health care providers, and systems through an interoperable digital infrastructure.

Ayushman Bharat - PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)

• 55+ crore economically vulnerable Indians covered (bottom 40%).

• ₹5 lakh annual health insurance per family.

• 40 crore+ Ayushman Cards issued (as of Apr 3, 2025).

• 8.5 crore+ hospital admissions authorized.

• 31,846 empanelled hospitals:

  • 17,434 public.

  • 14,412 private.

• ASHA & Anganwadi workers included as beneficiaries.

• 25+ lakh Ayushman Vav Vandana Cards issued (elderly coverage).

  

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs & Quality Healthcare

• 1.76 lakh+ Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (HWCs) active (as of Apr 5, 2025).

• 107.10 crore hypertension screenings.

• 94.56 crore diabetes screenings.

• 5.06 crore wellness sessions (yoga, meditation, cycling) conducted (as of Feb 28, 2025).

• 17,000+ public health facilities certified under National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) (as of Nov 30, 2024).

Maternal Health Interventions

1. Institutional Deliveries: 88.6% births in health institutions (NFHS-5, 2019–21).

2. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): 36.77 lakh women benefited (Apr–Sept 2024).

3. Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK): Free care for pregnant women & sick infants (delivery, transport, diagnostics).

4. Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA):

   • Free antenatal care on 9th of every month (since 2016).

   • 6 crore+ women examined (as of Apr 2025).

5. Extended PMSMA Strategy: Focus on high-risk pregnancies, incentives for extra visits + ASHA support.

6. SUMAN (2019): Zero-cost, respectful care for women & newborns.

   • 41,519 facilities onboarded (as of Dec 2024).

7. LaQshya (2017): Labour room & maternity OT quality improvement.

   • 1,106 Labour Rooms certified.

   • 809 Maternity OTs certified (as of Dec 2024).

Other Maternal Health Interventions

• Maternal Death Surveillance & Response (MDSR).

• Mother & Child Protection (MCP) Card & Safe Motherhood Booklet.

• Reproductive & Child Health (RCH) Portal.

• Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) under POSHAN Abhiyan.

• Birth Waiting Homes (BWH) in remote/tribal areas.

• Village Health, Sanitation & Nutrition Day (VHSND) at Anganwadi Centres.

• Outreach Camps in tribal/difficult areas.

  

World Health Day - April 7

Disease Elimination & Control

• Malaria:

  • 69% drop in cases, 68% drop in deaths (2017–2023).

  • India contributed 0.8% of global malaria cases (2023).

  • Exited WHO’s HBHI group (2024).

• Trachoma: Eliminated as public health problem (2024).

• Measles-Rubella:

  • 50 districts reported no measles cases (Mar 6, 2024).

  • 226 districts reported no rubella cases in past year

Tuberculosis, Kala-azar & AB-PMJAY

Tuberculosis (TB)

• TB incidence fell 17.7% (237 → 195 per lakh population, 2015–2023).

• TB deaths declined (28 → 22 per lakh).

• Missing TB cases dropped 83% (15 lakh → 2.5 lakh).

• Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (launched Sept 2022):

  • 2.5 lakh+ Ni-kshay Mitra volunteers.

  • Supporting 15 lakh+ TB patients (as of Apr 6, 2025).

Kala-azar

• Eliminated in Oct 2024.

• 100% endemic blocks achieved <1 case per 10,000 population (by end of 2023).

Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)

• to provide quality medicines at affordable rates at Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs)
• prices 50% to 80% lower than branded medicines in market
• Suvidha Sanitary Napkins at ₹1 per pad

AMRIT (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment) initiative

• provides medicines for various diseases including critical illness (cancer and cardio vascular diseases) at highly subsidised rates to public through AMRIT pharmacy.

Other initiatives

• ceiling prices for 900+ formulations decided by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM)

National Health Mission (NHM)

Key interventions for Maternal Health

Institutional deliveries on the rise

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)

Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK)

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)

Extended PMSMA strategy

SUMAN 2019

LaQshya 2017

Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB)

Achievements by India

WHO World Malaria Report, 2024

• highlights India's major strides in malaria elimination with a
  • 69% drop in cases and
  • 68% reduction in deaths
  • between 2017 and 2023.
• India contributes to 0.8% of global cases in 2023
• India's exit from WHO's High Burden to High Impact group (HBHI) in 2024
• India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem in 2024, recognised by WHO.
• Measles - Rubella vaccination drive, resulted in 50 districts reporting no measles cases and 226 districts saw no rubella cases in the past year.

WHO's Global TB report

• Under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP),
  • the incidence of TB fell by 17.7%
  • between 2015 and 2023.
  • TB related deaths decreased from 28 per lakh to 22 per lakh.