Health & Family Welfare

The Tenth Plan period witnessed a transition in health care policies and strategies with the effecting of an architectural correction in the healthcare delivery system at the primary and secondary level and the steps taken to set in motion regional balance in the availability of tertiary healthcare facilities. Wide ranging reforms and policy initiatives have been taken for improving health infrastructure and addressing the healthcare needs of the population. Several initiatives have also been undertaken on the disease front to contain morbidity and mortality.

To tackle the menace of other communicable and non-communicable diseases, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare continues to implement National Health Programmes throughout the country for Blindness, AIDS, Cancer, Mental Disorders, etc. A Disease Surveillance mechanism is also being put in place for communicable and non-communicable diseases and their risk factors to facilitate quick response and evaluate control strategies. Central Institutions and organisation engaged in health care, medical education and research are continuously being strengthened to tackle the emerging diseases.

The general condition of India's population has improved significantly since the 1990s. The Average life expectancy at birth has increased from 59.7 years in 1991 to 63.7 years for males and 60.9 to 66.9 years during the same period for females.

Infant mortality, Crude birth rate and death rates have also registered a decline during the period. The strategies put in place in respect of the communicable diseases particularly leprosy and TB has met with sufficient success. In the case of Vector borne Diseases, concerted efforts are being made under the programme while under AIDS, the key strategy has been to build up infrastructure and go in for targeted interventions.

The major areas of current focus include continued high morbidity due to communicable diseases, rising disease burden due to non-communicable diseases and nutritional problems. The unmet need for contraception and high unwanted fertility are the other areas of major concern.