National Health Policy

o Policies are general statements based on human aspirations,

set of values, commitments, assessment of current situation
& an image of a desired future situation.
o A national health policy is an expression of goals for
improving the health situation, the priorities among these
goals and the main directions for attaining them.
o NHP is a statement, enunciated by GOI, as a ‘blue print’ for
further action, about the manner in which the tasks related
to health & allied subjects to be performed. It aims at the
elimination of poverty, illiteracy, ill-health, ignorance &
inequality.
o Some crucial factors affecting the realization of goals are
- Political commitment
- Financial implications
- Administrative reforms
- Community participation
- Legislation
National Health Policy - 1983
 NHP was finalized by the MOH&FW in 1982, with the goal of
HFA by 2000AD & NHP was approved in August 1983.
 Main Objective: To achieve HFA by 2000 AD.
Priority Areas of the policy:
 Small family norm
 MCH
 Immunization program
 Improvement of nutritional status
 Water supply & sanitation
 Environmental protection
 School health program.
 Occupational health service.
 Prevention of food adulteration & maintenance of quality of
drugs.
Other strategies of NHP -1983
 Prohibition of private practice by Govt. doctors.
 Exploitation of the services of the practitioners of AYUSH
system of medicine.
 Inculcation of healthful living habits by the people by nation-
wide health education program.
 Inclusion of nutrition promotion &population control techniques
in school curricula.
 Universal adult literacy education
 Nationwide HIS for timely warning of emergencies, planning of
health strategies & determining the manpower requirements.
 Promotion of herbal gardening & health industry.
 Initiation of state-wise health insurance scheme.
 Promotion of basic & applied research.
 Establishment of inter sectoral coordination.
 Training of all categories of medical personnel.

National Health Policy - 2002

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GOI,
evolved a National Health Policy in 1983 keeping in view the
national commitment to attain the goal of Health for All by the
year 2000 A.D.
Since then there has been significant changes in the
determinant factors relating to the health sector, necessitating
revision of the policy & a new National Health Policy 2002 was
evolved.

Main Objective: To achieve an acceptable standard of good

health amongst the general population of the country.

Approach: To increase access to decentralized public health

system by establishing new infrastructure in the existing
institution.
 Overriding importance would be given to ensure a
more equitable access to health services across the social &
geographical expanse of the country. Primacy will be given to
preventive & 1st line curative initiative at the primary health level.
The policy is focused on those diseases which are principally
contributing to disease burden such as TB, Malaria, Blindness &
HIV/AIDS.
Emphasis will be laid on rational use of drugs within the
allopathic system.
Policy prescriptions
In policy prescriptions, following areas were included:
- Equity.
- Financial resources.
- Public health infrastructure.
- National health programmes.
- Role of LSG institutions.
- Norms for health care personnel.
- Nursing personnel.
- Generic drugs & vaccines.
- Urban health.
- Mental health.
- Health research.
- IEC.
- Health statistics.
- Women’s health.
- Role of civil society.
- Medical ethics.
Nursing profession in NHP 2002
The various components of NHP-2002 had greater concern with
the nursing services. The policy prescription of NHP 2002,
emphasize the need for:
  Ensuring better nurse-patient & nurse-doctor ratio in
hospital and private health care agencies.
 Improving the skill level of nurses.
 Adding super speciality training for nurses for tertiary care.
 Increasing the placement of nurses at PHC.
 Increasing facilities for university level preparation for
nurses.

o National Health Policy - 2017

The national Health Policy of 1983 & the NHP 2002 have
served well in guiding approach for the health sector in the five year
plans.
The NHP-2017 seeks to reach everyone in a
comprehensive integrated way to move towards wellness. It aims at
achieving universal health coverage & delivering quality health care
services to all at affordable cost.
Objectives
Improve health status through concerted policy action in all
sectors & expand preventive, promotive, curative, palliative &
rehabilitative services provided through the public health sector with
focus on quality.
 Progressively achieve universal health coverage.
 Reinforcing trust in public health care system.
 Align the growth of private health care sector with public health
goals.
Specific Quantitative Goals & Objectives – Health status and
programme impact, Health system performance, Health system
strengthening.
Key policy Principles - Professionalism, Integrity & Ethics
- Equity
- Affordability
- Universality
 - Patient centered & Quality of care
- Accountability
- Inclusive partnerships
- Pluralism
- Decentralism.
- Dynamism & Adaptiveness
Thrust areas
Ensuring adequate investment.
Preventive & promotive health.
Organization of public health care delivery.
- Primary care services & continuity of care.
- Secondary care services & urban health care.
- Re-orienting public hospitals.
- Closing infrastructure & human resources/skill gaps.
NHP 2017 & Nursing profession
Important features directly related to nursing profession in different
paras of NHP 2017 are as follows:
 Set up of nursing institutions for tertiary care services along
lines of regional, zonal & apex referral centres.
 A common national level licentiate/exit exam for all
medical/nursing graduates & a regular renewal at periodic
intervals.
 Bridge course for BSc nurses/GNM for mid-level service
providers for expansion of primary care services.
 Nursing education.
- Improving regulation & quality management of nursing
education.
- Establishing cadres like nurse practitioners.
- Developing specialized nursing training courses &
curriculum.
- Establishing nursing schools in every large districts.
- Establishing centres for excellence (COE) for nursing.
- Gradual shift/appointing GNMs at subcentre level.