The Union health ministry said it set tough targets to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates, which are already at a faster pace than the global rate.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda said for the first time that the ministry has made fighting diseases such as kalazar, measles and other targeted people. He said In terms of maternal and child health, I talked earlier that our rate of reduction of AMI, MMR and total fertility rate (TFR) is faster than the global rate .
For the first time in the budget, we focused on targeting diseases. We are committed to ensuring that the department is focused on results, targets and results. Only talk about this year, but until 2020-2025, he said.
They are very encouraging results. Now we have set up tough targets within ourselves (ministry). Under it, for IMR, till 2019, we will reduce it from 37 to 28. For MMR till 2020, we have set a target of reducing it from 167 to 100, the minister said.
Noting that stress has been given on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Nadda said universal screening for hypertension, diabetes, cervical, breast and oral cancers will be started in 100 districts of the country this year.
There has been a significant increase of Rs 10,290 crore in the health budget (from last year). From Rs 37,061 crore it rose to 47,352 crore this year, which is a jump of 27, 77 percent, he said. There was a style of operation where the previous government used to present a budget and then reduce it. After arriving in the news, it was reduced, Nadda alleged.
