Health of the National Rural Health Mission: EPW Special Article

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Health of the National Rural Health Mission

Zakir Husain

Economic & Political Weekly EPW January 22, 2011 vol xlvi no 4

ABSTRACT

The National Rural Health Mission was introduced as a flagship scheme of the

United Progressive Alliance government in 2005-06 to address the needs of the

rural population through an architectural correction of the health system. With

the completion period drawing to a close in 2012, this paper critically

evaluates the success of the intervention strategies under this scheme.

Based on rapid appraisal surveys in selected districts, three common review

missions by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and data reported on the

NRHM website, this paper attempts a desk review of the progress of the mission

with respect to its core strategies – provisioning of health services to

households through accredited social health activists, strengthening rural

public health facilities, enhancing capacity of panchayats to control and manage

provisioning of health services and positioning of an effective health

management information system.