Health policy must tackle new reality
The report "India: Health of the Nation's States," which was
released last week, gives a better and more detailed perspective of the state
of the nation's health than similar reports and surveys done in the past. It is
very comprehensive and has much more data than exercises like the National
Family Health Survey. It confirms some known facts but also provides new
information which will be useful in formulating public health policies for
particular regions and states. The report was prepared by the Indian Council
of
Medical Research (ICMR) and some other organisations in collaboration with the Union health ministry. It has traced the changes which have taken place in the country's health profile over a period from 1990 to 2016 and mapped the state-wide divergences in disease burden. It is well known that social and economic development improves health outcomes. This has happened in India also and key health indicators like life expectancy have shown great improvement from 1990 to 2016. The report has shown this.
Medical Research (ICMR) and some other organisations in collaboration with the Union health ministry. It has traced the changes which have taken place in the country's health profile over a period from 1990 to 2016 and mapped the state-wide divergences in disease burden. It is well known that social and economic development improves health outcomes. This has happened in India also and key health indicators like life expectancy have shown great improvement from 1990 to 2016. The report has shown this.
An important finding is that the disease profile has undergone a major
change. During the 1990-2016 period, the threat posed by communicable diseases
like tuberculosis and malaria and by maternal, neonatal and nutrition-related
diseases declined and the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart
ailments and diabetes has grown. In 1990, the burden of infectious and
associated diseases was 61% and that of others, linked to lifestyles, was 30%.
The relative positions reversed in 2016, with infectious diseases accounting
for 33% and NCDs accounting for 55%. This trend is going to continue in the
years to come and so public health strategies will have to be changed
accordingly. Different strategies will be needed, which target sections of
people in different socio-economic strata. Health infrastructure, medical
education and the training and skills of medical personnel will have to be
re-oriented to cater to the new situation.
The report also shows that the health profiles of different states vary
widely. While NCDs took more lives in developed states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala
and Punjab, infectious and associated diseases were the major threats to health
in states like UP, MP and Orissa. The report also compared pairs of states like
UP and MP, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra and Gujarat and showed
that national health performance can be vastly improved if the health problems
and risks in particular states are targeted separately. The national health
policy should be decentralised to address the specific needs of states, and
even of regions within states. Collection of more data and better research will
also help to fine-tune the policy.
28.12.2017
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