National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)

In spite of the progress made, a high proportion of the population, especially in rural areas in India, continues, to suffer and die from preventable diseases, pregnancy and child birth related complications as well as malnutrition. In addition to old unresolved problems, the health system in the country is facing emerging threats and challenges. The rural public health care system in many states and regions is in an unsatisfactory state leading to pauperization of poor households due to expensive private sector health care. The large disparity across India places the burden of these conditions mostly on the poor, and on women, Scheduled Castes and Tribes especially those who live in the rural areas of the country.National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has been launched with a view to bringing about dramatic improvement in the health system and the health status of the people, especially those who live in the rural areas of the country. The Mission seeks to provide universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care which is accountable at the same time responsive to the needs of the people, reduction of child and maternal deaths as well as population stabilization, gender and demographic balance– To provide effective healthcare to rural population throughout the country with special focus on 18 states, which have weak public health indicators and/ or weak infrastructure– To improve access to rural people, especially poor women and children to equitable, affordable, accountable and effective primary health care. In this process, the Mission would help achieve goals, set under the National Health Policy and the Millennium Development Goals.