Abstract
BackgroundHealth policy formulations in India have witnessed a shift from a reactive approach to a more proactive approach over the last decade. It is therefore important to understand the effectiveness of recent national health policies (such as the National Rural Health Mission and the National Urban Health Mission) in addressing the varied needs of the heterogeneous population of India.MethodsWe use datasets from the National Sample Surveys carried out in 2004 and 2014 to understand the change in the health seeking behavior as a result of these policies. The choice of health care facilities and the associated expenditures are compared through descriptive analyses. A multinomial logistic regression is used to identify the significant parameters which contribute towards the share of health care providers in India. The health status of two economically disparate Indian states (Bihar and Kerala) are also compared through specific metrics of performance.ResultsIt is seen that due to increased availability of facilities in close proximity, both rural and urban residents prefer to avail of those facilities which will result in minimization of transportation cost. The effectiveness of national health policies is found to vary on a regional scale. Literacy and health status have a strong correlation, thereby reinforcing that Bihar still lags far behind Kerala in terms of access to equitable health care.ConclusionTherefore, a hierarchical system, incorporating medical pluralism and tailor-made policies targeted at diverse health care demands, needs to be put in place to achieve Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals as decreed by the United Nations, i.e., “health for all”.
Highlights
Health policy formulations in India have witnessed a shift from a reactive approach to a more proactive approach over the last decade
It is not surprising to find that individuals with greatest need for health care have the greatest difficulty in gaining access to health services and are least likely to have their health needs met [5]
This was rectified by the National Sample Surveys (NSS) 2014 survey, analysis of which revealed around 90% of both urban and rural residents displaying a higher inclination towards allopathy treatment
Summary
Health policy formulations in India have witnessed a shift from a reactive approach to a more proactive approach over the last decade. The National Health Policy (NHP) 2002 focused on accessibility and availability issues in availing affordable health care [1]. Jana and Basu Global Health Research and Policy (2017) 2:6 in providing “health for all” (Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals decreed by the United Nations), most notable of which are inadequate physical access to high-quality health services and dearth of qualified personnel at existing facilities [6]. These issues stem from underinvestment in the health sector.
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