| Syllabus: GS- I, Subject: Society and social justice, Topic: Social Sector-Health, Issue: Equity in health care |
Health Equity:
- Ensuring equal opportunity for optimal health, addressing social, economic, and environmental factors.
India’s health equity challenges:
- Urban slums, exhibit health disparities due to overcrowding and poor sanitation.
- Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes lag on health indicators.
- Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for over 60% of all fatalities.
- India suffers from a critical shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas.
Existing steps to ensure equity:
- Ayushman Bharat offer free health coverage to economically disadvantaged groups.
- National Health Mission aims to bridge rural-urban healthcare.
The way ahead:
- Collaboration among government, public, private, and NGO sectors.
- Innovation, especially in digital health.
- Evidence-based insights for policies and practices.
