How Might India’s Public Health Systems Be Strengthened?

How Might India’s Public Health Systems Be Strengthened?

The central government s policies, though well-intentioned, have inadvertently de-emphasized environmental health and other preventive public health services in India since the 1950s, when it was decided to amalgamate the medical and public health services and to focus public health services largely on single-issue programs. This paper discusses how successive policy decisions have diminished the Health Ministry s capacity for stewardship of the nation s public health. These decisions have introduced policies and fiscal incentives that have inadvertently enabled states to prioritize medical services and single-issue programs over broader public health services, and diminished the capacity of the public health workforce to deliver public health services. Diseases resulting from poor environmental health conditions continue to impose high costs even among the more affluent, and hinder development. There are many approaches to strengthening the public health system, and the authors suggest one that may require relatively little modification of existing structures and systems. They suggest establishing a focal point in the Health Ministry for public health stewardship, and re-vitalizing the states public health managerial cadres as well as the grassroots public health workers. The central government could consider linking its fiscal support to states with phased progress in four areas: (1) the enactment of state Public Health Acts; (2) the establishment by states of separate public health directorates; (3) the re-vitalization of grassroots public health workers; and (4) health department engagement in ensuring municipal public health. The central focal point could provide the needed support, oversight, incentives, and sanctions to ensure that states build robust public health systems. These measures can do much to help governments use public funds more effectively for protecting people s health.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Das Gupta, Monica, Shukla, Rajendra, Somanathan, T.V., Datta, K.K.
Language:English
Published: 2009-11-01
Subjects:AVIAN FLU, AVIAN INFLUENZA, BASIC LEGISLATION, BEDDING, BLINDNESS, BURDEN OF DISEASE, CANCER, CHILD HEALTH, CHILD HEALTH SERVICES, CHILD MORTALITY, CHOLERA, CITIZENS, CLINICAL SERVICES, CLINICS, COMMUNICABLE DISEASE, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, COMMUNITY MEDICINE, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, CONTAGIOUS DISEASES, COST-EFFECTIVENESS, COSTS OF TREATMENT, DEATHS, DEMAND FOR SERVICES, DENGUE, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DIABETES, DISASTERS, DISEASE CONTROL, DISEASE OUTBREAKS, DISEASE PREVENTION, DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL, DISEASE SURVEILLANCE, DISPENSARIES, DRINKING WATER, DRUG RESISTANCE, DRUGS, ECONOMIC CHANGE, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC OUTCOMES, ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES, EMERGENCIES, ENDEMIC DISEASES, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, EPIDEMIC, EPIDEMICS, EXERCISES, EXPENDITURES, EXTERNALITIES, FAMILY HEALTH, FAMILY PLANNING, FAMILY WELFARE, FLU PANDEMIC, FOOD HANDLING, FOOD SAFETY, FOOD STORAGE, GLOBAL POLIO ERADICATION INITIATIVE, GOVERNMENT CAPACITY, GRASSROOTS WORKERS, HAZARDS, HEALTH AUTHORITIES, HEALTH BUDGETS, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH CONDITIONS, HEALTH ECONOMICS, HEALTH EDUCATION, HEALTH EXPENDITURE, HEALTH FACILITIES, HEALTH FINANCING, HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, HEALTH LEGISLATION, HEALTH MANAGEMENT, HEALTH NEEDS, HEALTH OFFICIALS, HEALTH ORGANIZATION, HEALTH OUTCOMES, HEALTH PLANNING, HEALTH POLICIES, HEALTH POLICY, HEALTH REGULATIONS, HEALTH RESOURCES, HEALTH RISKS, HEALTH SECTOR, HEALTH SERVICE, HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY, HEALTH SERVICES, HEALTH SPECIALIST, HEALTH SYSTEM, HEALTH SYSTEMS, HEALTH TRAINING, HEALTH WORKFORCE, HEPATITIS, HOSPITALS, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HYGIENE, ILL-HEALTH, ILLNESS, IMMUNIZATION, IMMUNIZATIONS, INFANT, INFANT MORTALITY, INFANT MORTALITY RATE, INFECTIONS, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INFLUENZA, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, INJURIES, INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS, IODINE DEFICIENCY, LABOR FORCE, LACK OF FOOD, LATRINES, LAWS, LEPROSY, LIFE EXPECTANCY, LOCAL AUTHORITIES, MALARIA, MALARIA CONTROL, MALARIA INCIDENCE, MALE HEALTH, MALE HEALTH WORKERS, MALNUTRITION, MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, MEDICAL CARE, MEDICAL DOCTORS, MEDICAL EDUCATION, MEDICAL FACILITIES, MEDICAL OFFICER, MEDICAL RESEARCH, MEDICAL SERVICES, MEDICAL TRAINING, MEDICINE, MIDWIFE, MIDWIVES, MIGRANTS, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, MORBIDITY, MORTALITY, MORTALITY DECLINE, MORTALITY DECLINES, NATIONAL HEALTH, NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY, NATIONAL POLICY, NATURAL DISASTER, NATURAL DISASTERS, NURSE, NURSING, NUTRITION, OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES, OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH, PERSONAL COMMUNICATION, PLAGUE, PLAGUE CONTROL, POLICY DECISIONS, POLICY GOALS, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, POLICY SERIES, POLIO, POLIO ERADICATION, POLIO ERADICATION PROGRAM, POPULATION DISCUSSION, POPULATION GROWTH, POPULATION STUDIES, PREVALENCE, PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES, PREVENTIVE MEDICINE, PROGRESS, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC ATTENTION, PUBLIC AWARENESS, PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC HEALTH ENGINEERS, PUBLIC HEALTH EXPENDITURE, PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS, PUBLIC HEALTH PERSONNEL, PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES, PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY, PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES, PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM, PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS, PUBLIC SERVICES, QUARANTINE, RABIES, RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, RESOURCE MOBILIZATION, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, SANITARY CONDITIONS, SANITATION, SCHOOL HEALTH, SCREENING, SEPTIC TANKS, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES, SMALLPOX, SOCIAL POLICY, STATE GOVERNMENTS, T.V., TB, TECHNICAL EDUCATION, TECHNICAL INFORMATION, TECHNICAL RESOURCES, TREATMENT, TROPICAL MEDICINE, TUBERCULOSIS, TYPHOID, URBAN AREAS, URBAN DEVELOPMENT, URBANIZATION, VACCINATION, VACCINATION PROGRAMS, VACCINE, VECTOR BORNE DISEASES, VECTOR CONTROL, VENTILATION, VITAL STATISTICS, WASTE, WATER SUPPLIES, WORKERS, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, YAWS,
Online Access:http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20091125082536
https://hdl.handle.net/10986/4332
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Similar Items

Similar Items