NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY: A TEACHER’S COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
Welcome, future pharmacists and healthcare professionals!
A national strategy for controlling and optimising the social uses of its health knowledge of proposed objectives is called health policy. According to WHO, Health Policy is “defined as decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society.” The Indian perspective of National Health Policy is primarily aimed at informing, clarifying, strengthening, and prioritising the role of government in transforming the healthcare system in a number of ways—health investments, disease prevention, good health promotion by intersectoral activities, healthcare facilities organisation, human resources development, increasing contact with technologies, and various other things.
As a pharmacy educator with years of experience teaching Social Pharmacy, I have observed that students often find the various National Health Policies confusing due to their overlapping timelines and objectives. However, understanding the evolution of health policies in India is essential for every pharmacist because these policies shape the healthcare landscape in which we practice. In this comprehensive guide, I will walk you through the four National Health Policies—1983, 2000, 2002, and 2017—their salient features, objectives, and significance. Let us begin our journey.
Dpharmguru’s exam insights:
National Health Policy is one of the most frequently tested topics in social pharmacy exams. Remember: India got its first National Health Policy in 1983—36 years after independence. The four policies are NHP 1983, NPP 2000, NHP 2002, and NHP 2017. Understanding the objectives and salient features of each policy is essential for exam success. Pay special attention to NHP 2017—it is the most current and comprehensive policy!
NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY, 1983
In 1983, India got its first National Health Policy after 36 years of independence. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India evolved a National Health Policy for the period 1983–2002. For establishing extensive healthcare services, the policy focused on reaching the population in the remote areas of the country.
Salient Features with Respect to Indian Perspectives
- It was important for the curative-oriented western model of healthcare.
- It focused on preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative primary healthcare approach.
- It generally recommended a decentralised system of healthcare whose main features are low cost de-professionalisation (use of volunteers and paramedics) and community participation.
- It expanded the private curative sector that helped in reducing the government’s responsibility.
- The observed progress of this policy proposed that there is a necessity of an additional strategy or new sizable intervention to attain undesirable health of the century.
Dpharmguru’s exam insights:
NHP 1983 is frequently tested. Remember: It was the first health policy after independence; it focused on preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative primary healthcare; it recommended decentralised healthcare with community participation. The policy also expanded the private sector to reduce government responsibility.
NATIONAL POPULATION POLICY, 2000
The National Population Policy, 2000 (NPP 2000) ensures the dedication of government towards voluntary and informed choice and consent of citizens while assisting in administering family planning services. A policy framework is provided for enhancing goals and prioritising strategies during the next decade, to meet the reproductive and child health needs of the people of India, and to achieve net replacement levels (TFR) by 2010.
Objectives with Respect to Indian Perspectives
- Immediate Objective: To convey the incomplete needs for contraception, health care infrastructure, and health staff. It also provides combined service delivery for basic reproductive and child health care.
- Medium-term Objective: To take the TFR to replacement levels by 2010 through efficient implementation of inter-departmental operational strategies.
- Long-term Objective: To achieve a stable population by 2045, at a level consistent with the requirements of sustainable economic growth, social development, and environmental protection.
Dpharmguru’s exam insights:
NPP 2000 is frequently tested. Remember: It focuses on family planning and reproductive health. The three objectives are: Immediate (contraception needs), Medium-term (TFR to replacement level by 2010), and Long-term (stable population by 2045). TFR means Total Fertility Rate—the average number of children per woman.
NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY, 2002
The Government of India introduced a revised health policy—the National Health Policy, 2002—to carry out better healthcare and incomplete goals. According to this revised policy, government and health professionals are forced to provide good healthcare to society. The predictable event of NHP 2002 led to enhancing the use of health service to a large group rather than a small group. The involvement of social policies adds to the credit of the revised NHP 2002.
Objectives with Respect to Indian Perspectives
- To carry out a sustainable standard of good health of the Indian population.
- To spread out the public health system by improving the infrastructure in existing institutions.
- To ensure equal availability of health service across the social and geographical expanse of India.
- To increase the contribution of the private sector in facilitating health service for people who can afford to pay.
- To provide priorities for prevention and for first-line therapeutic initiative.
- To focus on emphasising rational use of drugs.
- To enhance approaches for tried systems of Traditional Medicine.
Dpharmguru’s exam insights:
NHP 2002 is frequently tested. Remember: It is a revised policy to address incomplete goals. Key objectives include: sustainable standard of good health, expanding public health infrastructure, equal availability of health services, private sector contribution, rational use of drugs, and promotion of traditional medicine. The focus on rational use of drugs is particularly relevant for pharmacists!
NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY, 2017
On 15th March, 2017, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare established the National Health Policy, 2017. The main aim of this policy is to focus on moving from “sick-care” to “wellness” by encouraging the prevention and well-being of the people.
Seven Priority Areas Identified by NHP 2017
Seven priority areas were identified by NHP 2017 for improving the environment for health. These priority areas require coordinated action and include:
- 1. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Clean India Mission.
- 2. Balanced, Healthy Diets and Regular Exercises: Promoting healthy lifestyles.
- 3. Addressing Tobacco, Alcohol and Substance Abuse: Reducing addiction.
- 4. Yatri Suraksha: Preventing deaths due to rail and road traffic accidents.
- 5. Nirbhaya Nari: Action against gender violence.
- 6. Reduced Stress and Improved Safety in the Workplace: Occupational health.
- 7. Reducing Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution: Environmental health.
Objectives with Respect to Indian Perspectives
- To increase public health care investment from 1.4% to 2.5% of GDP with more than two-thirds of those resources going towards primary healthcare.
- To provide a larger package of comprehensive primary healthcare through ‘Health and Wellness Centres’.
- To provide a complete package that will include care for major non-communicable diseases, geriatric healthcare, mental health, palliative care, and rehabilitative care services.
- To suggest free diagnostics, drugs, emergency healthcare services, and essential healthcare services in all public hospitals to provide healthcare access and financial protection.
- To provide regular tracking of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) Index to estimate the burden of disease and its major categories trends by 2022.
- To provide improvement and enhancement in the regulatory environment by preparing systems for setting standards and ensuring quality of healthcare.
- To make sure that 2 beds per 1000 population are easily available within golden hour. It also suggests increasing the life expectancy from 67.5 to 70 years by 2025.
- To reduce Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to 2.1 at sub-national and national level by 2025.
- To reduce Mortality Rate (MR) of children under 5 years to 23 per 1000 by 2025 and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) to 100 by 2020.
- To reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to 28 by 2019 and reduce neo-natal mortality to 16 and still birth rate to ‘single digit’ by 2025.
Dpharmguru’s exam insights:
NHP 2017 is the most current and comprehensive policy—it is frequently tested in exams. Remember: The shift from “sick-care” to “wellness” is the central theme. Key targets include: 2.5% of GDP for healthcare, 2 beds per 1000 population, life expectancy of 70 years by 2025, TFR of 2.1 by 2025, IMR of 28 by 2019, MMR of 100 by 2020. The seven priority areas are also important—especially Swachh Bharat, Yatri Suraksha, and Nirbhaya Nari!
COMPARISON: NATIONAL HEALTH POLICIES
| Feature | NHP 1983 | NPP 2000 | NHP 2002 | NHP 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of Introduction | 1983 | 2000 | 2002 | 2017 |
| Focus | Primary healthcare, preventive care | Population control, family planning | Revised healthcare goals | Wellness, preventive care |
| Key Concept | Decentralised healthcare | Voluntary choice, TFR reduction | Rational drug use, traditional medicine | Sick-care to wellness |
| GDP Allocation | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified | 2.5% of GDP |
| Life Expectancy Target | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified | 70 years by 2025 |
| IMR Target | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified | 28 by 2019 |
| MMR Target | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified | 100 by 2020 |
KEY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
1. Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
TFR is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates. Replacement level fertility is approximately 2.1 children per woman—the level at which a population replaces itself.
2. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
IMR is the number of deaths of infants under one year of age per 1000 live births in a given year. It is a key indicator of child health and overall healthcare quality.
3. Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR)
MMR is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. It is a key indicator of women’s health and healthcare quality.
4. Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY)
DALY is a measure of overall disease burden, expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability, or early death. It combines both mortality and morbidity into a single metric.
Dpharmguru’s exam insights:
Key terms like TFR, IMR, MMR, and DALY are frequently tested. Remember: TFR of 2.1 is replacement level; IMR is per 1000 live births; MMR is per 100,000 live births; DALY combines mortality and morbidity. NHP 2017 sets specific targets for each of these indicators.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
1. When was the first National Health Policy introduced in India?
The first National Health Policy was introduced in 1983, 36 years after India’s independence.
2. What is the main aim of National Health Policy, 2017?
The main aim of NHP 2017 is to focus on moving from “sick-care” to “wellness” by encouraging prevention and well-being of the people.
3. What is the GDP allocation target under NHP 2017?
NHP 2017 aims to increase public health care investment from 1.4% to 2.5% of GDP with more than two-thirds of those resources going towards primary healthcare.
4. What are the seven priority areas of NHP 2017?
The seven priority areas are: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Balanced diets and exercise, Addressing tobacco/alcohol/substance abuse, Yatri Suraksha (road safety), Nirbhaya Nari (gender violence), Workplace safety, and Reducing air pollution.
5. What is the life expectancy target under NHP 2017?
NHP 2017 aims to increase life expectancy from 67.5 to 70 years by 2025.
6. What is the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) target under NHP 2017?
NHP 2017 aims to reduce Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to 2.1 at sub-national and national level by 2025.
7. What are the IMR and MMR targets under NHP 2017?
NHP 2017 aims to reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to 28 by 2019 and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) to 100 by 2020.
8. What is the difference between NHP 2002 and NHP 2017?
NHP 2002 focused on sustainable health standards, private sector contribution, and rational drug use. NHP 2017 focuses on moving from “sick-care” to “wellness,” with specific targets for GDP allocation, life expectancy, IMR, MMR, and TFR.
SUMMARY
The National Health Policy of India has evolved significantly over the decades. From the first policy in 1983 to the comprehensive 2017 policy, each iteration has built upon the previous one to address the changing healthcare needs of the population.
NHP 1983 established the foundation with a focus on preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative primary healthcare. NPP 2000 addressed population control and family planning. NHP 2002 revised goals with emphasis on rational drug use and traditional medicine. NHP 2017 represents the most comprehensive policy to date, shifting the focus from “sick-care” to “wellness” with specific, measurable targets for healthcare investment, life expectancy, IMR, MMR, and TFR.
As I always tell my students: “Understanding health policy is not just about passing exams—it is about understanding the vision and direction of healthcare in our country. As pharmacists, we are an integral part of this vision, and our role in implementing these policies is crucial for the health of the nation.”
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (2022). National Health Policy, 2017. Government of India.
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (2002). National Health Policy, 2002. Government of India.
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (2000). National Population Policy, 2000. Government of India.
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (1983). National Health Policy, 1983. Government of India.
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2022). Health Policy and Systems Research. Retrieved from https://www.who.int.
- Park, K. (2022). Park’s Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine (25th ed.). Banarasidas Bhanot Publishers.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals for medical concerns.
written by:
Dr. N. Sujith Kumar
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