A Rudimentary Framework for Improving Access to Public Health using ICT

Abstract

The growth of public health in India has been moderate due to low public expenditure on health, very few public health institutes and inadequate national standards for public health education. As per to the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) published in the medical journal, The Lancet, India has a depressing 154th place among 195 countries on the healthcare index. India has population of 1.21 billion population and occupies the second position as the most populous country in the world. India has almost 13.1 per cent of child population aged 0-6 years (Census 2011). Mortality among infants and under-5 children is also a primary concern. In India the number of Under-5 mortality rate and infant mortality rates are very high. They are as much as 49 (Under-5 mortality rate) and 42 (infant mortality rates). The proposed framework is for improving the health of the citizens. This is a bottom up approach for improving the overall health of the nation starting at district level. Starting with treatment of areaspecific diseases and infections is an effective way to ensure good health all over the nation.