The <keyword id="6356311" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-health-organisation" source="Orion">World Health Organisation</keyword> has called for increased access to quality diabetes education for healthcare workers and people living with diabetes as part of efforts to achieve access for all to quality, affordable diabetes care, on the occasion of World Diabetes Day. According to Dr Poonam <keyword id="811088" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="khetrapal" source="Orion">Khetrapal</keyword> Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, around 422 million people have diabetes, and 1.5 million deaths are directly attributed to diabetes every year around the world. "In the WHO South-East Asia Region, more than 96 million people are estimated to have diabetes, and another 96 million to be pre-diabetic, causing at least 600 000 deaths annually. By 2045, unless urgent action is taken, the prevalence of diabetes in the Region is expected to increase by 68 per cent," Dr Poonam Khetrapal said. She highlighted the seriousness of Diabetes and said that if detected late, or improperly managed, can lead to serious and life-threatening damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. She also laid down the methods to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. "The risk of type 2 diabetes can be reduced through regular and adequate physical activity, healthy eating, and avoiding tobacco and the harmful use of alcohol. If developed, type 2 diabetes can be managed through medication, control of blood pressure and lipids, and adherence to a healthy lifestyle. Type 1 diabetes, which affects more than 250 000 children and adolescents in the Region, cannot currently be prevented but can be managed. For people living with both types of diabetes, access to affordable treatment - including insulin - is critical to their survival," <keyword id="15514594" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dr-khetrapal" source="Orion">Dr Khetrapal</keyword> said. According to Dr Khetrapal, the region continues to take targeted action to address diabetes, in line with its Flagship Priorities on preventing and controlling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and achieving universal health coverage (<keyword id="57852" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="uhc" source="Orion">UHC</keyword>), as well as its recently adopted Implementation <keyword id="53329" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="roadmap" source="Orion">Roadmap</keyword> on NCD prevention and control 2022-2030. "Almost all countries now have in place standardized treatment guidelines for diabetes and must provide at least one hypoglycemic drug at the primary health care (PHC) level. Across the Region, the WHO HEARTS-D technical package is supporting PHC personnel to diagnose, treat and manage diabetes, accelerating Region-wide efforts to reorient health systems - including NCD care - to the PHC level," she said. According to Dr Khetrapal, in 2021, amid the COVID-19 response, WHO supported the delivery of insulin donations to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste, alongside 45 other low- and middle-income countries globally. "The Region is currently on track to achieve a 30 per cent relative reduction in tobacco use prevalence between 2010 and 2025, and last year launched a Regional Roadmap on implementing the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030. The Roadmap will help Member States achieve a 15 per cent relative reduction in the prevalence of insufficient physical activity by 2030, which will, in turn, help them to reduce expected increases in new diabetes cases," she said. Dr Khetrapal said that it is calling for action in several key areas including the setting up of time-bound targets to address gaps in service coverage. "First, policymakers should set time-bound targets to address gaps in service coverage, with a focus on equity and leaving no one behind. Second, high-impact, cost-effective and context-appropriate interventions must continue to be identified and implemented. For this, the Global Diabetes Compact, launched in April 2021, calls for targeted efforts to enhance community empowerment and increase private sector engagement," Dr Khetrapal said. "Third, policymakers should continue to strengthen PHC service delivery, ensuring that diabetes screening and care are available, accessible, acceptable, and of adequate quality, without discrimination, accelerating momentum from the 2016 Colombo Declaration," Dr Khetrapal said. The official added that the countries must continue to promote access to essential medicines and priority devices, including insulin, in national benefit packages - a key focus of the Region's Flagship Priority on UHC. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/menopause-hormone-replacement-therapy-linked-to-depression-heres-what-evidence-says/articleshow/95499502.cms">Menopause: Hormone Replacement Therapy linked to depression - here's what evidence says</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/this-bio-engineered-houseplant-claims-to-clean-the-air-as-efficiently-as-30-air-purifiers/articleshow/95507043.cms">This bio-engineered houseplant claims to clean the air as efficiently as 30 air purifiers</a>

Diabetes claims 1.5 million lives every year, globally: WHO

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Different factors, such as food security, affect the health of a community.</li><li>Collaborative partnerships and anonymous data sharing can identify needs and improve outcomes.</li></ul>For decades, a lack of affordable housing has plagued low-income residents of Hawaii, especially in Honolulu.But a deep dive into available data showed an even greater problem that's negatively affecting the health of many Hawaiians: food insecurity.Access to affordable housing and food are examples of social determinants of health, the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health and quality-of-life risks and outcomes. A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26526164/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">study</a> published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that 80% of a person's health was determined by what happened outside a doctor's office.Because these social determinants of health, and many others, can cause significant problems for millions of Americans, identifying specific needs within a particular city or neighborhood can inform public-health decisions that lead to better outcomes for its residents."A significant amount of the challenges standing in the way of health and health equity are tied to unique issues within each community," said Catherine Anderson, the senior vice president of policy and strategy at UnitedHealthcare Community &amp; State. "Without a data-informed approach, you're throwing resources at challenges that may not be the right ones for that community."By applying state-of-the-art data collection and analytics tools to its members' anonymized health data, and informed by community insights, <a href="https://www.uhc.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">UnitedHealthcare</a> — one of the nation's leading health-benefits providers — is working with select partners in more than two dozen communities to close gaps in <keyword id="11897506" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="healthcare" source="Orion">healthcare</keyword> and address health-equity challenges.<h2>Collecting data leads to better health outcomes</h2>The program, launched earlier in 2021, is called <a href="https://newsroom.uhc.com/community/catalyst.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">UnitedHealthcare Catalyst</a>, and it's designed to expand access to healthcare to address each community's needs. As Anderson said when the program launched, its goal is "to bring the right partners together to align primary and behavioral health with social needs, creating initiatives that improve health outcomes and provide equitable care for all."A Catalyst partner is the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, a nonprofit organization working to preserve and improve public and affordable housing. Anderson said analysis of UnitedHealthcare claims and other data showed that residents of publicly assisted housing were often among the most difficult to reach and serve regarding health needs."Tens of thousands of our members live in public housing, so CLPHA has been a key partner for us," Anderson said. "But public-housing authorities don't have access to public-health data. Working together, we can understand what is happening to the people who live in their units, and what can be done to improve their lives."<h2>Local partnerships make community care more effective</h2>Research shows that increasing well visits and screenings, while vitally important to improving health outcomes, doesn't eliminate all health-equity gaps. Thus, it's essential to create approaches that are rooted in data and reflect the perspectives of the people who live and work in the community.That's why, in addition to CLPHA, UnitedHealthcare has forged partnerships with a multitude of other organizations, including public-housing agencies, federally qualified health centers, and community-based organizations. Each alliance is customized to address that community's social-determinants-of-health challenges, which can include such factors as poor access to transportation, food insecurity, low incomes, inadequate housing, and a lack of education. To date, UnitedHealthcare Catalyst has rolled out in 22 cities or counties in Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. Another 15 Catalyst partnerships are expected to launch in 2022.UnitedHealthcare Catalyst builds on and complements other UnitedHealthcare initiatives focused on helping improve health equity, promoting better health outcomes, and expanding health access for all people. Other UnitedHealthcare investments are supporting programs — and partnerships — that address food, transportation, and social-isolation issues, including $80 million to help minority populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19."I believe Catalyst and these other programs show the power of communities and partnerships to best serve the needs of all citizens," Anderson said.<a href="https://newsroom.uhc.com/community.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Learn more about UnitedHealthcare's community-focused partnerships here.</a>This post was created by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sponsor-posts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Insider Studios</a> with <a href="https://www.uhc.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">UnitedHealthcare</a>.

How public-private partnerships can help eliminate US healthcare gaps on a local level

Ahmedabad, The civic body in Gujarat's <keyword id="29099" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="ahmedabad-city">Ahmedabad city</keyword> has launched an <keyword id="433881" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-facility">online facility</keyword> for people from priority groups to register for the <keyword id="8904563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccine</keyword>, an official said on Saturday. According to <keyword id="922163" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Ahmedabad-Municipal-Corporation">the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation</keyword>, citizens from priority groups in the city who have not yet registered themselves with <keyword id="134687" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Health-workers">health workers</keyword> carrying out house- to-house survey or at urban health centres (UHCs) can get themselves registered on www.ahmedabadcity.gov.in. The civic body has begun the registration process for healthcare workers, frontline workers, people above the age of 50 and those under 50 who are suffering from comorbid conditions, an official release stated. People from these priority groups who have not yet registered themselves with health workers can approach their nearest UHCs carrying their identity cards such as driving licence, PAN card, or voters' ID etc, it was stated. "They can also get themselves registered on the AMC website www.ahmedabadcity.gov.in. This facility is only for citizens who have yet registered themselves with health workers or at UHCs," the release said. The Gujarat government had earlier said it has already identified around 3.9 lakh healthcare workers as the first priority group for COVID-19 vaccination, which includes 2.71 <keyword id="53302" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government-Doctors">government doctors</keyword>, nurses, lab technicians and Class 3 and 4 employees. The list also includes 1.25 doctors, nurses, lab technicians and employees of private hospitals engaged in COVID-19 duty. The police, home guards and others engaged indirectly in COVID-19 treatment and services will be given the second priority, state Health Minister Nitin Patel had said earlier. A survey has been undertaken to identify priority groups comprising people above the age of 50 and those below 50 years suffering from various diseases. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-mrs-bectors-ril-bharti-airtel-vodafone-idea-ilfs-interglobe-aviation-future-group-deepak-nitrite-jubilant-foodworks-and-others/articleshow/79933826.cms">Top stocks to watch – Mrs Bectors, RIL, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, IL&amp;FS, InterGlobe Aviation, Future Group, Deepak Nitrite, Jubilant FoodWorks, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/there-are-one-of-only-17-indian-companies-out-of-500-that-aced-the-du-pont-test/articleshow/79911627.cms">There are one of only 17 Indian companies out of 500 that aced the Du Pont test</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/wipro-buyback-offer-details-and-700-million-metro-ag-deal-drives-share-price/articleshow/79911875.cms">Wipro offers 10% more to buy back shares and signs a $700 million deal with Metro AG – everything that’s driving the IT services stock higher today</a>

Ahmedabad launched online facility for COVID-19 vaccine registration

(Eds: Adds details) Ahmedabad, May 25 () The number of COVID-19 cases in worst-hit Ahmedabad district rose to 10,590 on Monday with detection of 310 more patients while the fatality count mounted by 25 to 722, a Health official said. A total of 136 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the number of the recovered patients to 4,187, the official said, adding that the number of the active cases stands at 5,681. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Monday said it had launched 80 mobile fever clinics on ambulances for conducting medical check-up of people by visiting various localities. These ambulances will also help in shifting patients to the nearest urban healthcare centres (UHCs) if required. These mobile clinics will consist of doctors and paramedics who provide free medicines to the people suffering from various health issues and take them to UHCs if needed, an official said. "These 80 ambulances will visit 325 spots in a day. They will conduct check up of people with symptoms and provide them medicines or take them to UHCs if needed. As many as 50,000 people have benefited with the service in the last three days," said Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Gupta, appointed to oversee preparations to contain COVID-19 in Ahmedabad city. He said a dedicated helpline number '104' has been launched to call up doctors for medical examination and referral services. The AMC said it will organise a mango fair at GMDC ground in western Ahmedabad where relaxations have been eased considerably amidst the extended lockdown to help farmers. KA PD NSK NSK

Ahmedabad's COVID-19 cases up by 310 to 10,590; death toll 722

<ul><li>A component of Ayushman Bharat, a flagship healthcare scheme of the Government of India, PM-JAY aims to achieve universal health coverage. </li><li>PM-JAY provides a health insurance coverage up to ₹5 lakhs per family in a year that can be claimed for meeting the expenses of secondary and tertiary medical care across 1,393 procedures. </li><li>It works by providing cashless healthcare services to families through public and empanelled private hospitals. </li></ul>Abbreviated as PM-JAY, Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojanais a component of Ayushman Bharat, aims to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). This project was recommended by the National Health Policy 2017 and designed under the commitment of the government which reads as, "Leave no one behind". Marking a shift from a segmented approach to providing healthcare services to the citizens, Ayushman Bharat endeavors to deliver a holistic and need-based healthcare service. The scope of Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana PM-JAY will provide health insurance coverage up to ₹5 lakhs per family in a year. It can be claimed for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. The scheme targets about 10.74 crore families in the poor and vulnerable segments of the society. About 50 crore beneficiaries are covered by this programme. Earlier called as National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), PM-JAY was launched in Ranchi, Jharkhand on September 23, 2018 by <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>. Important highlights of PM-JAY The largest health insurance programme in the world PM-JAY is notably the world’s largest health insurance programme that is fully financed and operated by a government, today. The scheme provides an insurance coverage of ₹5 lakhs per family per year which can be claimed for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. The benefit will be disbursed through the public hospitals as well as empanelled private hospitals in the country. What does it seek to cover? PM-JAY offers access to cashless health care services for the beneficiary families at the point of service, namely, the hospital. PM-JAY will help bring down the ruinous expenditure spent on hospitalizations, which forces about 6 crore people under poverty line year-on-year. The programme’s objective is to mitigate the financial risks that result from disastrous health episodes. The nature of coverage With regard to the coverage, PM-JAY does not have any restrictions regarding the size of the family, and gender or age of the beneficiary. Right from the first day, the scheme covers all pre-existing conditions. The beneficiaries can move anywhere within the country to avail of the facility in any of the empanelled and public hospitals across the nation. The scheme will cover three days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days of post-hospitalization expenses that will also include diagnosis and medication. Medical services included The services include about 1,393 procedures that will cover all the costs connected to treatment that will include but is not limited to drugs, diagnosis, physician fees, surgeon charges, room fees, ICU and OT charges. The scheme will reimburse the cashless healthcare services offered by public hospitals on par with the private hospitals. PM-JAY benefit cover The total benefit of ₹5,00,000 per family per year can be used on a family floater basis which will mean that one or all members of the family can use it as per the arising needs. Whereas the RSBY has a cap of five members per family, PM-JAY does not have any cap on the family size or the age of the family members.

what is prime minister jan arogya yojana

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e399a6c5bc79c6259720955-937/screen%20shot%202020-02-03%20at%20103915.png" alt="Wuhan hospital" /><ul class="summary-list"><li>The city of Wuhan in China completed a makeshift emergency hospital to treat patients infected with the coronavirus in just 10 days.</li><li>The emergency medical facility is made up of two floors and has several isolation wards and 30 intensive care units. It can hold up to 1,000 patients.</li><li>Business Insider spoke to a construction expert, who said that using prefabricated units is the key to constructing a building at such a fast speed.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>On Sunday, China <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-wuhan-coronavirus-china-completes-emergency-hospital-eight-days-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">finished building an emergency hospital</a> set up specifically to tackle the Wuhan coronavirus. It only took 10 days.The 645,000-square-foot makeshift medical facility, which took in its first patients on Monday, is made up of two floors and is already equipped with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-inside-new-hospital-panic-built-contain-outbreak-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T#construction-on-the-makeshift-huoshenshan-hospital-started-on-january-23-1">1,000 beds, several isolation wards, and 30 intensive care units. </a>Pictures of the construction <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-rapid-progress-panic-building-a-hospital-in-6-days-2020-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">first emerged on January 23 on social media</a>, showing dozens of bulldozers and excavators rushing to level the ground.In the days that followed, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-emergency-hospital-in-wuhan-appears-close-to-completion-2020-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">an online live stream was set up for people to follow the construction progress.</a><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e39925d5bc79c45662c8416-1333/before%20and%20after%20image%20.jpg" alt="Wuhan Huoshenshan hospital before-and-after." /><h2>But how did China manage to construct a hospital in just 10 days?</h2>Using prefabricated units is the key to constructing a building at such a fast speed, according to David Hartley, <a href="https://www.mtxcontracts.co.uk/about-us/meet-the-team/">managing director of engineering company NTX</a>, which also focuses on hospital construction in the UK."Instead of first building the foundation and then following up with the superstructure (ie. the steel frame, the building, and the cladding), prefabricated units allow the construction of the foundation and the building envelope to take place in parallel."So the pre-fabricated element, which would be the Lego blocks that you would can see being craned in, are actually fabricated off-site in a factory at the same time the foundations are being prepared on-site."The panic-built Huoshenshan hospital was also modeled on the blueprints of a medical facility which was set up in Beijing in 2003 to help tackle the SARS epidemic, which also helped speed up the construction process, <a href="https://qz.com/1792705/coronavirus-the-engineering-behind-wuhans-rapidly-built-hospitals/">according to Quartz.</a><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e39a6225bc79c611227cc44-1044/screen%20shot%202020-02-03%20at%20104947.png" alt="Wuhan hospital" />Chinese state media has also given a lot of credit to the more than 7,500 laborers, who worked around the clock to construct the hospital.<a href="https://twitter.com/CGTNOfficial/status/1224236075247263745">Online footage by CGNT</a>, shows workers saying: "We have been working here for nine days. We have only slept for two hours in three days."But many still appeared happy to lend their help. In the same CGNT footage, another worker said: "When disaster strikes help comes from all sides. I am a Wuhan resident. It is my duty to protect my hometown."Robert Yates, an internationally-recognized expert on universal health coverage (UHC) said at a press conference on Tuesday that the rapid speed at which the hospital was built can be "can be a lesson to many.""In situations like this, you need the state to step in. A privately-financed health system would never achieve something like this. So it is a great advertisement for a publicly-financed health system," Yates said.China is also building a second hospital just 25 miles away from Huoshenshan, which will also be dedicated to the treatment of coronavirus patients and is scheduled to accept its first patients on Wednesday.More than 30,000 people have now been infected with the virus globally. The number of fatalities has risen to 492, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">Chinese authorities said Wednesday.</a><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">The Wuhan coronavirus has killed 492 people and infected more than 23,000. Here's everything we know about the outbreak.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-china-quarantine-experiment-unprecedented-harmful-sars-official-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">The official who led the global fight against SARS called China's quarantine of 50 million people an unprecedented 'grand experiment' that could turn harmful</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-china-admits-deficiencies-in-response-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">China gave a rare admission of fault, admitting 'deficiencies' in its response to the Wuhan coronavirus that has now infected more than 23,000 people</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-sports-stadiums-makeshift-coronavirus-hospitals-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">Wuhan is scrambling to turn sports stadiums and exhibition centers into makeshift coronavirus hospitals to fight the spread of the virus</a></li></ul><a href="/intelligence/digital-health?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_subscription&amp;itm_content=health&amp;itm_campaign=digital-health"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5cf6b11111e205471c5718a4" alt="Digital Health Pro" style="width: 100% !important" /></a>Featured Digital Health Articles: - <a href="/telehealth-industry-explained">Telehealth Industry: Benefits, Services &amp; Examples</a> - <a href="/value-based-care-pay-for-performance-healthcare-model">Value-Based Care Model: Pay-for-Performance Healthcare</a> - <a href="/senior-care-market-trends">Senior Care &amp; Assisted Living Market Trends</a> - <a href="/wearable-technology-healthcare-medical-devices">Smart Medical Devices: Wearable Tech in Healthcare</a> - <a href="/artificial-intelligence-healthcare">AI in Healthcare</a> - <a href="/remote-patient-monitoring-industry-explained">Remote Patient Monitoring Industry: Devices &amp; Market Trends</a><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">As one of the emergency hospitals in Wuhan built in response to the novel <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a>, the now completed Huoshenshan Hospital has been put into use Monday. CGTN went to the construction site and talked with workers who have witnessed the shockingly rapid progress. <a href="https://t.co/qwmVdcoPed">pic.twitter.com/qwmVdcoPed</a>- CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1224236075247263745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2020</a></blockquote>

A construction expert broke down how China built an emergency hospital to treat Wuhan coronavirus patients in just 10 days

<ul><li>Currently, <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> spends only 1.2% of its GDP on <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="healthcare">healthcare</keyword>. </li><li>the government has passed the National <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="health">Health</keyword> Policy (NHP) to increase the public healthcare spending to 2.5% of the GDP with a special focus on the underprivileged. </li><li>Once launched <keyword id="344159" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="MODICARE">Modicare</keyword> will be world's largest government-run insurance scheme of its kind. </li></ul>India spends only 1.2% of its GDP on healthcare. And with that figure, the country ranks in lower than Singapore that has one of the lowest public health expenditures in the world at 2.2% amongst countries with significant United Health Care (UHC) services. If that 1.2% was not a figure dismal enough, India spends<a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS"> 2.5%</a> of its GDP for military purposes. It is time the country resets its priorities. With<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/healthcare-costs-drove-55-million-indians-below-poverty-line-in-the-last-two-decades/articleshow/64573439.cms"> 55 million Indians</a> falling below the poverty line in a single year because of heavy medical expenses and no help from the government, the poor also have very little to choose from when it comes to public and private healthcare. While public healthcare maybe the best that they can afford, the standards of public hospitals are deplorable, and private facilities are far too expensive. India's per capita public expenditure on health was as low as ₹621 in 2009-10. Though it increased to ₹1,112 ($16) in 2015-16, it seems almost absurd when compared to countries like the US and the UK with expenditures of $4,802 and $3,500 respectively. But perhaps, things can change now. To make the situation better, the government has finally passed the National Health Policy (NHP) which commits to spending 2.5% of the GDP on healthcare with a special focus on the underprivileged. Dr Ravi Wankhedkar told <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/govt-spends-only-1-2-of-gdp-on-healthcare-in-india/articleshow/60963195.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">The Times of India</a> that the national president of Indian Medical Association (IMA) for 2018, the spending should have been raised to at least 5%. NHP will also extend its focus on shifting from “sick care” or cure to “wellness” or prevention. The policy further promises to venture into a new concept of “strategic purchasing” from the private sector to achieve the national health goals. It also has envisioned targets to reduce the Maternal Mortality Ratio, and Infant Mortality Rate significantly. The situation may improve even further with the <keyword id="3664127" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Health-Protection-Scheme">National Health Protection Scheme</keyword> (NHPS) that the government is planning to launch soon. The scheme plans to target over 100 million poor families with an annual health cover of ₹0.5 million per family. Often called Modicare, once it is launched, will be world's largest government-run insurance scheme of its kind. According to the health minister, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/JP-Nadda">JP Nadda</a>, the scheme will be able to significantly bring down the citizen’s ‘out of pocket’ expenditure on health, which pushes millions of Indians below the poverty line every year. India’s ‘out of pocket’ expenditure currently stands on 67.78% against the the world average of 18.2%, according to WHO. Though the schemes seem progressive, they have been strongly <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-cleared-the-long-awaited-national-health-policy-2017/article17487845.ece">criticised by activists</a> because it scrapped a section of the final draft which proposed to make health a fundamental right. They believe that the failure to provide healthcare should have serious legal consequences and without that provision, the policy remains a hollow promise.

You Searched For "uhc" and got 7 results

Diabetes claims 1.5 million lives every year, globally: WHO

ANI

How public-private partnerships can help eliminate US healthcare gaps on a local level

Danielle Brody

Ahmedabad launched online facility for COVID-19 vaccine registration

PTI

Ahmedabad's COVID-19 cases up by 310 to 10,590; death toll 722

PTI

what is prime minister jan arogya yojana

BI India Bureau

A construction expert broke down how China built an emergency hospital to treat Wuhan coronavirus patients in just 10 days

Sophia Ankel,Sophia Ankel

India spends just 1.2% of its GDP on healthcare, but a policy can change that

BI India Bureau