The WHO observes April 7, the day it was established, as World Health Day and the message for this year is “Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere”. Universal health coverage, the UN agency says, is about ensuring that all people get quality health services, where and when they need them, without suffering financial hardship and not having to make a choice between good health and other life necessities. That should be the ideal situation across the world but regrettably just a few nations have got there. India has a long way to go before it achieves universal health coverage for its citizens — not only is our healthcare infrastructure inadequate but healthcare professionals are not in sufficient numbers particularly in the poorer parts of the country.

The inadequacy of the system to reach each one of the over 1.3 billion individuals is reflected in various indicators. However, not all indicators are bad. India has done well on immunisation of children, particularly hepatitis B and Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis. WHO data show that while 81 per cent of the births in India are attended to by skilled personnel in 2015, maternal mortality rate is about 174 per 100,000 live births. In comparison, in Sri Lanka, 99 per cent of the births are attended by skilled health personnel and its maternal mortality rate is just 30. The under-5 mortality rate is 47.7 per 1,000 live births in India, compared to 9.8 in Sri Lanka. Incidence of TB is 217 per 100,000 population and incidence of malaria is 18.6 per 1000 at risk. For Sri Lanka, the numbers are 65 and zero, respectively. The probability of an individual dying of the non-communicable diseases such as cancer between age 30 and exact age 70 is 23.3 per cent.

Many of these diseases and deaths can be contained if people have better access to affordable healthcare. The National Healthcare Protection Scheme and the Ayushman Bharat programme announced by the Finance Minister can help improve the coverage of healthcare.

Tina EdwinSenior Deputy Editor

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