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HEALTH
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The healthcare system in India

Over the past 40 years, India has made progress in improving the health and well-being of its people. Life expectancy has
increased from 44 to 66 years and the infant mortality rate has decreased by more than two-thirds, according to 2013 data
from the Human Development Index (UNDP HDI). Andhra Pradesh ranks above the country's average with a life
expectancy of 63.1 years . However, the emergence of HIV/AIDS has begun to affect epidemic rankings , both at the
regional and national levels.

The limitations of the health system , the poor hygienic conditions of the country, poverty and the climate cause numerous
infections and the spread of diseases. One of the most relevant problems of public medical services is that they should
provide subsidized treatments. provided or free to the poorest people, but they are incapable of meeting their objective and
offering care to the entire rural population. This demonstrates once again that social inequalities are also evident in access
to health, especially in a country with a high demographic like India.

The main health problems in India that cause an increase in mortality are: neonatal pathologies and diseases transmitted
from mother to child , nutritional deficiency, cardiovascular diseases , injuries , chronic diseases. piracy , cancer and
diabetes .

Childhood malnutrition has a very high incidence in this country. In India, 46% of girls and boys under three years of
age are too small for their age and 47% are underweight, especially girls. Early malnutrition has serious long-term
consequences , as it impedes the motor, sensory, cognitive, social and emotional development of the girl or boy with a
greater risk of illness and premature death. Anemia, as well as vitamin and mineral deficiency, also affects the survival and
development of women and children.

In addition to the existing diseases and epidemics in India, another risk factor among the population is the lack of drinking
water and its quality. According to the NGO Water Aid , the main sources of pollution are fecal matter, lack of sanitation,
overexploitation tation of underground resources and chemicals leached into the water.

1. The Indian healthcare system

2. International Agreements
3. Legislative and Political Framework in India

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1. THE INDIAN HEALTH SYSTEM

The quality of health care in India varies considerably and is limited or inaccessible to people in rural areas
. Therefore, it is important to analyze the structure of the health system at the local level. For example, at the
AU
base of the Anantapur hierarchical pyramid are the health sub-centres. That is, the first ones where the rural
population can go. Above are the primary health centers, the cornerstone of the rural health system, subsidized ned by the Indian
Government. These centers have a team of people trained to provide medical care to the population. Above, there are the local or
taluka hospitals, serving between 90 and 100 contiguous villages, and, at the peripheral level, there are the district hospitals. The Public
Health Department addresses medical care, including awareness campaigns, immunization, preventive medicine and public health.

Across India, poor access to public healthcare has fueled the rise of the private sector and made healthcare one of the most
privatized in the world. This fact occurs due to the lack of quality and/or confidence in public healthcare or due to its poor distribution
throughout the territory. The direct consequence for families in India is the disbursement of large sums of money to go to the doctor or
hospital. Despite the drawbacks of the rise of the private sector, the Indian Government also collaborates with private health entities,
since it sees in them a possibility of addressing and improving the problem of access to healthcare.

The public health budget for the year 2010-2011 represents less than 0.36% of the planned GDP.

Regarding the participation of NGOs in some of the health programs, the Indian Government and several international organizations,
such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), favor the creation and collaboration in different health programs .

2. INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS
Since the International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan) in 1978, primary care has become a fundamental
concept for the World Health Organization (WHO). From that moment on, the goal was to achieve health for all . The commitment was
to achieve global improvements in the field of health, especially as it relates to the most disadvantaged populations.

The first International Conference on Health Promotion, held in Ottawa (Canada) in November 1986, already showed interest in
achieving universal health in the face of the growing expectations of debates around the world that called for an equitable distribution of
access to health care. health services.

It was not until 1998 that this idea materialized into a new global health policy: “Health for All in the 21st Century.” This regulation
incorporates additional elements not included in

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Alma-Ata. Then a gender perspective was offered for the first time and the need was considered. sity of
treating health as a central element of sustainable human development . Civil society was also given
special prominence in health management.

In the United Nations (UN) Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS in 2001, 189 states committed to
implementing a Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) for HIV/AIDS that encompassed ten priorities, from
prevention to treatment , including financing . The text also recognized that HIV/AIDS constituted “a global
emergency and one of the greatest challenges to human life and dignity.”

Among the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for the year 2015 are also halving extreme poverty , reversing the spread
of HIV, reducing mortality maternal quality and ensure that cases of malaria and other infections decrease.

3. LEGISLATIVE AND POLITICAL FRAMEWORK IN INDIA

According to the Indian Constitution, health is the full responsibility of the States but the Government finances public health programs,
considered public goods and with great social implication.

The evolution of health policies begins at the time of independence. Although the First National Health Policy was not formulated until
1983, India built a large health infrastructure and initiated a series of national health programs over the previous five decades through
the Government, NGOs, the private sector and various institutions. This pioneering policy was aimed at achieving the goal “Health for
all” by the year 2000, through the provision of primary care services and maternity centers.

In the following 20 years there have been numerous health policies. Some of the most relevant regulations have been: the 73rd and
74th Constitutional Amendment of 1992, the National Nutrition Policy in 1993, the National Policy on the Homeopathic Medicine System
in 2002, the Drug Policy of 2002 and the Common Program of Lows of 2004. All these regulate tions are aimed at introducing a
universal system that guarantees health care for the most disadvantaged .

The National Health Policy of 2002 was launched to improve the deficiencies of the previous norm tive with the objective of achieving
an acceptable level of healthcare system accessible to the Indian population. To this end, the Government launched a plan focused on
improving health care in individual, public health, sanitation systems, drinking water, access to food and knowledge about hygiene and
nutrition. The policy contemplated reducing medical disparities between regions and communities , guaranteeing access to health
services to excluded groups such as women, low castes, people with disabilities or people. You sound older.

The National Rural Health Mission (2005-2012) began with the aim of offering accessible and affordable quality services for the
disadvantaged population living in rural areas.

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remote. The objectives are the prevention and control of infectious and non-infectious diseases. cies, access to
integrated primary care services, promotion of healthy lifestyles , etc.

The Third National HIV/AIDS Control Plan (NACP III) is currently being carried out in the districts. The general
AU objectives of NACP-II for the period 2007-2010 were to stop and reverse the epidemic in India , integrating
prevention, care, support and treatment programs. I lie. The Indian AIDS Control Organization (NACO) positioned
itself as a promoter and coordinator of HIV research across South Asia through a number of national and regional
academic institutions.

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