National Health Policy, 2017
Also called: NHP 2017 · Topic: Human Capital: Education, Health and Demographic Dividend · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The National Health Policy, 2017 (NHP 2017) is the Union government's main plan for India's health system. Its central goal is universal health coverage, meaning everyone can get good health care without falling into money trouble. It puts primary care (basic care close to home, including prevention) first. It also aims to strengthen human resources for health, the doctors, nurses and technicians who deliver care. Its best-known target is to raise public health spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2025. It matters because good health is a core part of human capital: healthy people learn better, work longer and miss fewer days through illness.
Example
National Health Accounts 2021-22 put government health spending at about 1.8% of GDP, still below NHP 2017's 2.5% target. Out-of-pocket spending (what families pay themselves at the time of treatment) fell to about 39% of total health spending, from about 64% in 2013-14. Ayushman Bharat (2018) follows the policy's approach. Its Ayushman Arogya Mandirs give primary care, and PM-JAY gives hospital insurance of ₹5 lakh per family per year.
Don't confuse with
- Ayushman Bharat: it is a scheme that puts the policy into action. NHP 2017 is the policy framework that sets the goals and targets.
- National Health Accounts: they measure how much is actually spent on health. NHP 2017 sets the target that this spending is checked against.