14.Social-45 T Flashcards
- FAMILY PLANNING
5. 3.1. FERTILITY TREND IN INDIA
Why in news?
Recently the fourth round of the National Family
Health Survey (NFHS-4) report on the variations
in the total fertility rate (TFR) of different
communities was released.
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) may be defined as average
number of children that would be born to a woman if
she experiences the current fertility pattern
throughout her reproductive span (15-49 years).
• It is a more direct measure of the level of fertility
than the birth rate, since it shows the potential
for population change in a country.
• Total fertility rate declined in India from 2.7 in
2005-06 (NFHS-3) to 2.2 in 2015-16 (NFHS-4).
Replacement level fertility is the level of fertility at
which a population exactly replaces itself from one
generation to the next. Below 2.1 populations begin to
decline.
Details
• Geographic variance: The fertility rate in 23
states and Union territories—including all the
southern states—is below the replacement
rate while it is higher in a number of states in
central, east and north-east India.
o Bihar has the highest rate at 3.41,
followed by Meghalaya at 3.04 and Uttar
Pradesh and Nagaland at 2.74.
o Total fertility rate in rural areas was 2.4
while in urban areas it was 1.8.
• Impact of education: Women with 12 years
or more of schooling have a fertility rate of
1.7, while women with no schooling have an
average rate of 3.1.
• Skewed pattern of contraceptive usage: The
most popular contraceptive method by far, at 36%, is female sterilization. Male sterilization
accounts for a mere 0.3%
5.3.2. MISSION PARIVAR VIKAS
Why in News?
• On the World Population Day (July 11, 2017),
Minister of Health and Family Welfare
launched Mission Parivar Vikas.
National Population Policy 2002
• long term objective of achieving a stable
population by 2045
• To address the unmet needs for contraception,
health care infrastructure, and health personnel
• To provide integrated service delivery for basic
reproductive and child health care.
• Maternal Mortality Rate: below 100 per lakh
birth.
• Infant Mortality Rate: 30 per 1000 live birth.
• Achieve 80% institutionalized deliveries, to reduce
MMR
• Achieve universal immunization of children.
• Promote delayed marriage for girls, not earlier
than age 18 and preferably after 20 years of age.
• Compulsory school education, reduce dropout
rate.
• Promote small family norm to achieve
replacement levels of TFR.
• Convergence in implementation of related social
sector programs.
Mission Parivar Vikas
• It aims to control Total Fertility Rate of 146
districts in seven states, constitute the 28 of
total country population.
• Mission will utilise the RMNCH+A strategy,
Family Planning Logistics Management
Information System (FP-LMIS) and consumer
friendly website on family planning.
• Strategic focus on improving access through;
o Provision of services: distribute a kit
(Nayi Pahal) containing products of
family planning and personal hygiene
among newly-wed couples.
o Commodity security: it will increase
sterilization services, roll out injectable
contraceptive at sub-centre level and
generate awareness about condoms and
pills.
o Promotional schemes: Special buses
called ‘SAARTHI-Awareness on Wheels’
will to generate awareness, sensitize the
community and disseminate family
planning messages.
o Capacity building: ‘SAAS BAHU
SAMMELANS’ will be held to bridge the
gap in their attitudes and beliefs about
reproductive and sexual health.
o Enabling environment: ASHA workers to
encourage inter-spousal communication
and consensual decision-making on
reproductive and sexual health, delaying
the birth of the first child and spacing the
second.
o Intensive monitoring: find out the causes
of high Fertility rate and half yearly
review of the programme and correlate
the achievements with time.
Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (JSK)
• It was set up with a corpus grant of Rs 100
crore in 2003 to raise awareness for
population stabilization strategies.
• Recently, government approved the
proposal for its closure as an Autonomous
Bodies. Although, it will continue to play a
significant role in population stabilization
strategies.
• It organizes various activities with target
population as a part of its mandates.
• Strategies adoptedo Prerna Strategy- for helping to push up
the age of marriage of girls and delay in
first child and spacing in second child
birth.
o Santushti Strategy- invitation to private
sector gynaecologists and vasectomy
surgeons to conduct sterilization
operations in Public Private Partnership
mode.
National Family Welfare Programme launched in
1951 with the objective of “reducing the birth rate to
the extent necessary to stabilize the population at a
level consistent with the requirement of the National
economy. The Family Welfare Programme in India is
recognized as a priority area and is being
implemented as a 100% Centrally sponsored
programme.
Other Initiatives
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
has launched two new contraceptives, an
injectable contraceptive named ‘Antara’ and
a contraceptive pill ‘Chhaya’, to meet the
emerging needs of couples.
• The sterilization compensation scheme has
been enhanced in 11 high focus states (8
EAG, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana).
• Appointment of dedicated RMNCH+A
counsellors at high case load facilities.
• Under ‘National Family Planning Indemnity
Scheme’ (NFPIS) clients are insured in the
eventualities of deaths, complications and
failures following sterilization and the
providers/ accredited institutions are
indemnified against litigations in those
eventualities.
• Under the Compensation scheme for
sterilization acceptors the beneficiaries are
provided compensation for loss of wages on
account of undergoing sterilisation.
5.4. DISEASES 5.4.1. GLOBAL BURDEN OF DISEASE
STUDY
Why in news?
Newborns in India have a lesser chance of
survival than babies born in Afghanistan and
Somalia, according to the latest Global Burden of
Disease (GBD) study published in the medical
journal The Lancet.
Highlights of study
• In the GBD rankings for healthcare access and
quality (HAQ), India has fallen 11 places, and
now ranks 154 out of 195 countries.
• Further, India’s healthcare index of 44.8 is the
lowest among the sub-continental countries,
as Sri Lanka (72.8), Bangladesh (51.7), Bhutan
(52.7), and Nepal (50.8) all fared better.
• Access to tuberculosis treatment in India was
scored lower than Pakistan, Congo and
Djibouti.
About the study
• The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and
Risk Factors study is put together by the
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
(IHME)
• IHME is an independent population health
research centre associated with the
University of Washington, along with a
consortium of 2,300 researchers in more than
130 countries.
5.4.2. INDIA STATE LEVEL DISEASE
BURDEN REPORT
Why in news?
India State Level Disease Burden Report was
published as a part of Global Burden of Disease
Study 2016 to provide state level-disease burden
and risk factors trends from 1990 onwards.
About the Report
• It has been prepared by Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR) along with Public
Health Foundation of India and Institute for
Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
• The findings of the study can be used to track
subnational disease burden in India using
DALY.
Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)
• Years of healthy life lost to premature death and
suffering.
• It is composed two components: Years of Life Lost
(YLL) and Years of life lived with disability (YLD).
• DALYs instead of causes of death alone provides a
more accurate picture of the main drivers of poor
health.
Findings of the Report
• Health Indicators and disparities among
States
o Life Expectancy: As compared to 1990s
the life expectancy at birth improved
from 58.3 years among men and 59.7
years among women to 66.9 years for
males and 70.3 years for females.
o Disparity among states is also visible with
a range of 66.8 years in Uttar Pradesh to
78.7 years in Kerala for females, and from
63.6 years in Assam to 73.8 years in
Kerala for males in 2016.
o Child and Maternal Nutrition: The
disease burden due to Child and
Maternal malnutrition has dropped to
15% but it still remains single largest risk
factor in India.
• Non-Communicable Diseases and
Epidemiological Transition
o Over the past 26 years the pattern of
diseases has shifted from communicable,
maternal, neonatal, and nutritional
diseases (CMNNDs) to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and
injuries.
o Among the leading non-communicable
diseases, the largest disease burden or
DALY rate increase from 1990 to 2016
was observed for diabetes, at 80%, and
ischaemic heart disease, at 34%.
• Reduction in Infectious diseases but
prevalence still high in many states
o The burden of infectious diseases has
reduced since 1990.
o DALY rates for whole of India for this
group was 2.5 to 3.5 times higher than
the average globally for other countries
with similar levels of development.
• Increasing burden of diseases among states
o Injuries due to road accidents, suicides
etc. are the leading contributors to the
injury burden in India.
• Unsafe Water and Sanitation
o The Disease burden due to above is
improving but it continues to contribute
5% of total disease burden though it has
improved since 1990.
• Household air pollution improving and
worsening outdoor air pollution
o Outdoor Pollution – The contribution of
pollution remained high during 1990 and
2016 which causes a mix of NCDs and
infectious diseases.
o Household pollution – it has considerably
decreased due to reduced use of solid
fuels for cooking.
• Rising risk of cardiovascular diseases and
diabetes.
o The contribution of this group has
increased from 10% to 25% when 1990
and 2016.
o All these risks are generally higher in
females than males
5.4.3. NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN
(2017-24) & MISSION SAMPARK
Why in News?
The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on
World AIDS Day launched-
• National Strategic Plan 2017-24, &
• Mission SAMPARK
More about News
• National Strategic Plan (2017-24)- It aims to
strive, along with partners, towards fast track
strategy of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030
and is expected to pave a roadmap for
achieving the target of 90:90:90.
• Mission SAMPARK- Aim is to trace those who
are Left to Follow Up and are to be brought
under Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) services.
“Community Based Testing” will be taken up
for fast-tracking the identification of all who
are HIV positive.
Provisions for protection of AIDS patients in
India
Apart from various constitutional protections in
terms of Fundamental Rights, there are other
provisions for helping people with AIDS like-
• India is currently in the fourth (since 2012)
phase of National AIDS Control Programme,
launched with two principal objectiveso 50% reduction in new infections (using
2007 as baseline)
o Provision of comprehensive care and
support to people living with HIV.
• National AIDS Prevention and Control Policy
(2002, adopted under NACP II)- The main
purpose of this policy was to bring in a legal
sanction to prevent discrimination of people
living with HIV in work and social, medical
and financial settings.
• Indian Medical Council Act, 1956
(Professional Conduct, & Ethics) Regulations,
2002)- It lays down certain duties on the part
of doctors towards the HIV/AIDS patients.
• Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act, 1986- It
provides for conducting compulsory medical
examination for detection of HIV/AIDS among
the victims of trafficking.
• HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Act, 2017-
It criminalises discrimination against people
living with HIV/AIDS. Some of its important
features areo Provision for appointment of an
ombudsman by State/UT Governments to
address grievances related to violation of
the Act and penal action in case of noncompliance
o Provides an environment for enhancing
access to health care services by ensuring
informed consent and confidentiality for
HIV-related testing, treatment, and
clinical research. It also provides ground
for penal action for any health care
provider, except a physician or a
counsellor to disclose the HIV positive
status of a person to his or her partner.
The National AIDS Control Programme (NACP),
launched in 1992, is being implemented as a
comprehensive programme for prevention and control
of HIV/AIDS in India.
NACP-IV Components
Component 1: Intensifying and Consolidating
Prevention services with a focus on High-Risk Group
(HRG) and vulnerable populations.
Component 2: Expanding IEC services for (a) general
population and (b) high risk groups with a focus on
behavior change and demand generation.
Component 3: Comprehensive Care, Support and
Treatment.
Component 4: Strengthening institutional capacities.
Component 5: Strategic Information Management
Systems (SIMS)
5.4.4. NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN
FOR MALARIA ELIMINATION
Why in News?
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare
launched the National Strategic Plan for Malaria
Elimination (2017-22).
Background
• India that is a breeding ground for at least six
major vector-borne diseases—malaria,
dengue, chikungunya, filariasis, Japanese
encephalitis and visceral leishmaniasis.
• India has the third highest malaria burden in
the world thus an immediate action plan was
long needed.
Efforts to eliminate Vector Born Diseases
• The National Framework for Malaria
Elimination (NFME) last year outlined India’s
commitment for eliminating malaria by 2030.
• To implement this commitment the National
Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination was
launched in July 2017.
• The government would like to eliminate
malaria by 2027 and urged the states for
active cooperation. It gives strategies for
working towards the ultimate goal of
elimination of malaria by 2030.
• The strategies involve strengthening malaria
surveillance, establishing a mechanism for
early detection and prevention of outbreaks
of malaria, promoting the prevention of
malaria by the use of Long Lasting
Impregnated Nets (LLINs), effective indoor
residual spray and augmenting the
manpower and capacities for effective
implementation.
National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination
(2017-22)
Following are the provisions of NSPME-
• It divides the country into four categories
between 0-3, viz, -
o Category 1 (0)- includes 75 districts
where there has been no case of malaria
in last 3 years.
o Category 2 (1)- has as many as 448
districts in which API (Annual Parasite
Incidence) in a year is < 1 among every
1000 persons.
o Category 3 (2)- are the regions where the
API is one or above, but <2 per 1000
persons.
o Category 4 (3)- are the regions where the
API is 2 or >2 per 1000 persons.
• The plan aims to eliminate Malaria
completely by 2022 in the category 1 and 2
districts, while the other two categories will
be brought under pre- elimination or
elimination programmes.
• The plan aims at achieving Universal Case
Detection and treatment services in the
endemic districts to ensure full diagnosis and
treatment of all the cases
• Based on the WHO recommendations,
following are the 4 components of the plan:
o Diagnosis & case management
o Surveillance & Epidemic Response
o Prevention by Integrated Vector
Management
o Cross Cutting interventions including
communication, R & D, etc
5.4.5. PICTORIAL WARNING ON
TOBACCO PRODUCTS
Why in News?
• Supreme Court has stayed the Karnataka
High Court decision on reducing the size of
Pictorial warning on Tobacco products form
85% to 40%.
Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging
and Labelling Rules) amendment rule 2017.
• It was mandated that “the specified health
warning shall cover at least eighty-five per cent
(85%) of the principal display area of the package.
• Sixty per cent (60%) shall cover pictorial health
warning and twenty-five per cent (25%) shall
cover textual health warning.
Other initiatives to control tobacco use
• India had ratified WHO the Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in
2004.
• MPOWER- (a policy package intended to reduce
the demand of Tobacco) initiative of WHO is
being implemented in India.
• National Tobacco Control Programme: for
greater awareness about the harmful effects of
tobacco use and tobacco control law.
o National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) nodal
agency for overall policy formulation,
planning, monitoring and evaluation of the
different activities.
• The Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Act
2000: prohibited tobacco advertising in state
controlled electronic media and publications
including cable television.
• Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products
(Production Supply and distribution) act 2003:
prohibition of smoking in public places, selling to
minors, and ban on sale of tobacco products
within 100 yards of all educational institutions.
• Prevention of Food Adulteration Act mandates
statutory warnings regarding harmful health
effects for paan masala and chewing tobacco.
• Higher Tax: Under GST, there will be an additional
cess charged on the tobacco-related products,
over and above the GST charged at the rate of
28%.
5.4.6. INDIA HEALTH FUND
Why in news?
The India Health Fund (IHF), an initiative by Tata
Trusts, in collaboration with the Global Fund has
come forward to financially support innovations
and technologies designed to combat
tuberculosis and malaria.
Key facts
• TB and malaria pose long-standing health
challenges for India. The two diseases
account for over 4.23 lakh deaths and around
15 million lab-confirmed cases every year.
• It is aligned with the country’s goal of
eliminating TB by 2025 and malaria by 2030.
• The IHF aims to support individuals and
organisations with already germinated
innovative strategies, services, products. It is
not a fellowship to do research from scratch.
• The Global Fund is designed to accelerate the
end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as
epidemics. Founded in 2002, it is a
partnership between governments, civil
society, the private sector and people
affected by the diseases.
5.4.7. JOINT MONITORING
PROGRAMME 2017
Why in News?
• In July 2017, WHO and UNICEF under Joint
Monitoring Programme (JMP) released the
report titled ‘Progress on drinking water,
sanitation and hygiene 2017 update and
Sustainable Development Goal baselines’.
Joint Monitoring Programme
• The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for
Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP)
• Maintains global database and estimates the
progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene
(WASH) since 1990.
• Focuses on further enhancing global monitoring of
drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in the
context of the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development
• Each sector is dependent on the presence of the
other. For example, without toilets, water sources
become contaminated; without clean water, basic
hygiene practices are not possible About the Report
• This is the first global assessment of “safely
managed” drinking water and sanitation
services”.
• The report focus on;
o Ending open defecation (SDG 6.2)
o Achieving universal access to basic
services (SDG 1.4)
o Progress towards safely managed
services (SDG targets 6.1 and 6.2).
UN-Water
• United Nations (UN) inter-agency coordination
mechanism for freshwater related issues,
including sanitation (no single organisation for
water related aspect)
• UN-Water launched its 2014-2020 Strategy in
support of the 2030 Agenda.
World water Development report (WWDR)
• Published by UN-Water Members and Partners it
represents.
• The report production is coordinated by the
World Water Assessment Programme and the
theme is harmonized with the theme of World
Water Day (22 March).
UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of
Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS)
• By the World Health Organization (WHO) onbehalf
of UN-Water.
• It is a substantive input into the activities of
Sanitation and Water for All (SWA).
- GOVERNMENT SCHEMES
5. 5.1. NHPS
Why in News?
In budget 2018, a flagship National Health
Protection Scheme (NHPS) was announced under
Ayushman Bharat programme for a New India
2022.
Ayushman Bharat programme has two component
viz. National Health Protection Scheme & Health and
Wellness Centre.
Health and Wellness Centre: They were envisioned
under National Health Policy, 2017.
• Under this 1.5 lakh centres will bring health care
system closer to the homes of people.
• These centres will provide comprehensive health
care, including for non-communicable diseases
and maternal and child health services.
• Contribution of private sector through CSR and
philanthropic institutions in adopting these
centres is also envisaged.
• Augmented by induction of non-physician
healthcare providers such as nurse practitioners,
in addition to the existing staff, the HWC will
provide essential drugs and basic diagnostic free
of cost.
• Various vertical disease control programmes will
find convergence at this delivery point.
• Using technology, HWCs can generate real time
data for monitoring various health indicators.
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY)
• Launched in 2007-08, it is a health insurance
scheme for BPL families and workers in the
unorganized sector.
• It provides for IT-enabled and smart–card-based
cashless health insurance, including maternity
benefit cover up to Rs. 30,000/- per annum on a
family floater basis.
• Funding Pattern: Contribution by Government of
India to Sate Government is in ratio of 75:25.
• It is implemented by the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare.
Highlights
• Aim- To provide medical cover up to Rs5 lakh
per year per household for secondary and
tertiary health care.
• Coverage- An estimated 10 crore households
across the country, constituting 40% of total
population on the basis of “deprivation and
occupational criteria” as per Socio-Economic
and Caste Census (SECC) data, 2011.
• Using JAM- It would be a cashless and
Aadhaar enabled for better targeting of
beneficiary.
• Finance- It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme
with ratio of contribution towards premium
will be
o 60: 40 ratio Share between Centre and
State in all states and UTs with
legislature.
o 90: 10 ratio between Centre and
northeastern states & 3 Himalayan
states.
o 100% Centre’s contribution in case of
union territories (UTs) without
legislature.
o Central funding: Initial corpus of Rs 2000
crore was announced and rest will be
funded from 1% additional cess (Budget-
2018).
• NHPS scheme will subsume Rashtriya
Swasthiya Bima Yojana (RSBY) under it.
• National Health Agency (NHA)- It will be set
up to manage NHPS.
• It will operate around the insurance principle
of risk pooling. When a large number of
people subscribe to an insurance scheme,
only a small fraction of them will be
hospitalised in any given year.
Significance
• It would be the world’s largest governmentfunded health programme.
• Consolidating Fragmented Healthcare
Insurance facility available in different states.
5.5.2. MISSION INDRADHANUSH
Why in news?
• Union Health Ministry launched Intensified
Mission Indradhanush to achieve full
immunization.
• PMO will review the mission through multimodal platform PRAGATI (Pro-Active
Governance and Timely Implementation)
platform.
Mission Indradhanush
• It is a strategic endeavour under Universal
Immunisation Programme 1985.
• It targets to immunize all children below two
years of age either unvaccinated or are
partially vaccinated as well as all pregnant
women.
• Immunisation against seven vaccine
preventable diseases namely; Diphtheria,
Pertussis, Tetanus, Childhood Tuberculosis,
Polio, Hepatitis B and Measles.
• Moreover, Vaccines for Japanese
Encephalitis, Haemophilus influenza type B,
inactivated polio vaccine, Rotavirus vaccine
and Measles Rubella vaccine are also being
provided in selected states.
• Mission is technically supported by WHO,
UNICEF, Rotary International and other donor
partners.
Universal Immunisation Programme 1985
• The UIP provides free of cost vaccines to all
children during the first year of life.
• To protect them against 12 life threatening
diseases: tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis
(whooping cough), tetanus, poliomyelitis,
measles, Hepatitis B, Diarrhoea, Japanese
Encephalitis, rubella, Rotavirus and Pneumonia
(added in May 2017).
Pneumonia vaccine
• India accounts for nearly 20% of global
pneumonia deaths.
• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) will give
protection against 13 types of pneumococcal
bacteria.
Highlights of Intensified Mission Indradhanush
(IMI)
• It will be done through mapping of all
underserved population in urban areas and
need-based deployment of ANMs (auxiliary
nurse midwife) for providing vaccination
services in these areas.
• It will focus on children up to 2 years of age
and pregnant women who have missed out
on routine immunization. However,
vaccination on demand to children up to 5
years of age will be provided during IMI
rounds.
• A distinctive feature is that there is greater
focus on convergence with other ministries,
especially women and child development,
Panchayati Raj, urban development, youth
affairs etc.
• It will primarily focus on:
o Areas with vacant sub centres- Auxiliary
Nurse Midwife not posted or absent for
more than 3 months
o Unserved/low coverage pockets in subcentre or urban areas, due to issues
around vaccine hesitancy of program
reach; sub centre/ANM catering to
populations much higher than norms
o Villages/areas with three or more
consecutive missed routine
immunization sessions.
o High risk areas identified by the polio
eradication program that are not having
independent routine immunization
sessions and clubbed with some other
routine immunization sessions such as;
✓ Urban slums with migratory
population
✓ Nomadic sites (brick kilns,
construction sites, other migrant
settlements-fisherman villages,
riverine areas with shifting
populations, underserved and hardto-reach populations-forested and
tribal populations, hilly areas, etc.)
✓ Areas with low routine
immunization coverage identified
through measles outbreaks, cases
of diphtheria and neonatal tetanus
in the last two years.
5.5.3. MENTAL HEALTHCARE ACT
Why in news?
• The Centre has proposed to establish
“halfway homes” in an attempt to
rehabilitate the mentally ill.
What are “Halfway Homes”?
• Halfway homes are transitional living facilities for
mentally ill patients who have been discharged
from hospital but are not fully ready to live on
their own or with the family.
• Such halfway homes will run outside the campus
of mental health establishments and will be
registered as mental health establishments under
the Act.
• They will be required to comply with all the
standards and other requirements to be observed
by mental health establishments.
• The patients will be encouraged to do various
activities and will be paid for their services
• They will be allowed to move freely with the
establishment and form relationships within in
the community. They shall also be allowed to
move out under supervision at the discretion of
the medical officer in-charge within fixed timings.
• Such an initiative will give persons with mental
illness a second chance to mingle in society and
start afresh and will help them overcome their
fears and inhibitions before they are actually
exposed to the real world.
Important Provisions of the Act
• It has decriminalized suicide by ‘reading
down’ the power of section 309 of the Indian
Penal Code.
• The law takes a rights-based approach to all
aspects of mental healthcare. It provides
persons with mental illness protection from
cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,
right to information about their illness and
treatment, right to confidentiality of their
medical condition and right to access their
medical records
• It makes provision for writing an advance
directive through which which people can
state their preferences for treatment,
including how they would like to be treated
for mental illness.
• The government is explicitly made
responsible for setting up programmes for
the promotion of mental health, prevention
of mental illness and suicide prevention
programmes.
• It requires the government to make
provisions for persons with mental illness to
live in the community and not be segregated
in large institutions and make provisions for
half-way homes, group homes and other such
facilities for rehabilitating persons with
mental health problems.
• It requires the government to meet
internationally accepted norms for the
number of mental health professionals within
10 years of passing this law.
5.5.4. EVIN PROJECT
Why in news?
Electronic vaccine intelligence network (eVIN)
project of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
has been lauded by various developing countries.
About eVIN
• eVIN is an indigenously developed technology
system in India that digitises vaccine stocks
and monitors the temperature of the cold
chain through a smartphone application.
• The technological innovation is implemented
by the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP).
• By streamlining vaccine flow network, it
strengths health systems by easy and timely
availability of vaccines.
5.5.5. INDEX FOR TRACKING
PERFORMANCE OF HOSPITALS
Why in news?
Niti Aayog along with the Health ministry has
started ranking district hospitals through ‘Health
of our Hospitals’ index.
Details
• Its aims to provide comprehensive secondary
health care services to the people in the
district at an acceptable level of quality and
to be responsive and sensitive to the needs of
people and referring centers.
• The hospitals are assessed on the basis ofo Number of functional hospital beds per
1,00,000 population,
o ratio of doctors, nurses and paramedical
staff,
o stock out rate of essential drugs,
o blood bank replacement rate and
o post-surgical infection rate etc.
5.5.6. ECHO CLINIC
• ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare
Outcomes) is a concept of weekly or
fortnightly virtual clinics using
teleconferencing by best specialists to reach
out to underserved areas.
• ECHO clinics do not provide care directly to
patients like in telemedicine. Instead, they
equip primary healthcare clinicians in
remote areas with the knowledge and
support to manage complex cases.
• It helps in bringing specialist care and
knowledge to areas where there is none.
India’s first ECHO clinic began in 2008 as a
collaboration between the National Aids Control
Organization (NACO) and Maulana Azad Medical
College (MAMC) on managing HIV AIDS patients.
Since then, ECHO clinics and handling various
diseases in the country.
Project ECHO began in 2003 in New Mexico when a
liver disease specialist in US realized that there were
thousands of cases of Hepatitis C in New Mexico
without access to any treatment. Thus, he brought
together local clinicians and specialists through ECHO
clinics
