The primary aim of the National Health Policy, 2017, is to inform, clarify, strengthen and prioritize the role of the Government in shaping health systems in all its dimensions- investments in health, organization of healthcare services, prevention of diseases and promotion of good health through cross sectoral actions, access to technologies, developing human resources, encouraging medical pluralism, building knowledge base, developing better financial protection strategies, strengthening regulation and health assurance.
It advocates a positive and proactive engagement with the private sector for critical gap filling towards achieving national goals. It envisages private sector collaboration for strategic purchasing, capacity building, skill development programmes, awareness generation, developing sustainable networks for community to strengthen mental health services, and disaster management. The policy also advocates financial and non-incentives for encouraging the private sector participation.
The policy identifies coordinated action on seven priority areas for improving the environment for health:
o The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
o Balanced, healthy diets and regular exercises.
o Addressing tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse
o Yatri Suraksha – preventing deaths due to rail and road traffic accidents
o Nirbhaya Nari –action against gender violence
o Reduced stress and improved safety in the work place
o Reducing indoor and outdoor air pollution
The Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, aims to cover all those children by 2020 who are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases which include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.
Mission Indradhanush has led to vaccination of around 2.1 crore children of which more than 55 lakh children have been fully immunized.
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