Health is a fundamental pillar of a country’s overall development, as a healthy population is essential to a productive society. In a country like India, with its large population, strengthening the public health system has always been a major challenge.
To address this challenge, the Government of India introduced the National Health Policy 2017.
The main focus of the National Health Policy 2017 is to ensure “universal access to quality healthcare.”
Through this policy, the government has provided a roadmap for long-term reforms and systematic changes in the health sector.
Let’s now understand the National Health Policy 2017 in detail through this blog post.
Background of National Health Policy:-
The healthcare sector in India has historically been quite distinct and challenging, marked by a significant disparity in access to healthcare between urban and rural areas. Following independence, the government initiated several measures to strengthen the public health system, including reforms such as the National Health Policies of 1983 and 2002.
However, over time, population growth, changing lifestyles, emerging diseases, and new health challenges arose. Simultaneously, the rapid expansion of private healthcare and inadequate public health spending further intensified issues of affordability and accessibility. In light of these circumstances, the need for an updated and comprehensive framework was felt, leading the Government of India to introduce the National Health Policy 2017.
Previous National Health Policy (1983 & 2002):-
National Health Policy 1983:-
National Health Policy 1983 was India’s first comprehensive health policy, which primarily focused on expanding basic healthcare services and strengthening the public health system. Its main aim was to ensure primary healthcare access, especially in rural and underserved areas, through preventive and promotive health measures.
National Health Policy 2002:-
The National Health Policy 2002 was introduced to address emerging health challenges, such as communicable diseases, and the growing role of decentralised planning. It also recognised the increasing presence of the private healthcare sector and emphasised disease control, health infrastructure development, and improved health outcomes.
Need for a New Health Policy in India:-
In India, rapid population growth was placing immense pressure on healthcare services, while significant disparities in access to healthcare existed between urban and rural areas. Furthermore, India’s public healthcare spending was considerably low relative to its GDP, directly impacting the quality of services. The burden of infectious diseases, along with a rapidly increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer), was also a major concern. Adding to these challenges, the expansion of private healthcare had made treatment expensive, and a shortage of healthcare infrastructure and trained medical personnel had become a significant problem. To effectively address these challenges, India recognized the need for a comprehensive and updated national health policy.
Key features of national health policy 2017:-
- Strong focus on preventive and promotive healthcare.
- Aim to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
- Strengthening the primary healthcare system.
- Targeting a gradual increase in public health spending.
- Ensuring affordable and quality healthcare services.
- Promoting digital health and the use of technology.
- Encouraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
- Providing policy support to health initiatives like Ayushman Bharat.
Vision and Objectives of National Health Policy (NHP 2017):-
Long-term vision:-
The long-term vision of the National Health Policy 2017 is to create a health system where every citizen can easily and affordably access quality healthcare services. The policy’s focus is not limited to just treating illnesses, but also on improving overall well-being and healthy life expectancy, so that people become health-conscious even before they fall ill. The policy also aims to reduce inequalities and promote inclusive growth.
core objectives:-
The core objectives of the National Health Policy 2017 are to ensure universal access to quality healthcare. The policy aims to make affordable treatment, essential medicines, and diagnostic services accessible to every citizen without any financial burden.
In addition, another important objective of the policy is to strengthen preventive and promotive healthcare to reduce the disease burden in the long term. It also aims to improve overall health outcomes by enhancing health infrastructure, human resources, and governance mechanisms.
Major Target and Commitments:-
The major targets and commitments of the National Health Policy 2017 focus on measurable and outcomes-oriented reforms.
This policy includes a commitment to increasing public health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP, which will improve the quality of healthcare.
The policy outlines a roadmap for long-term health improvement, prioritizing preventive and primary healthcare.
Clear targets have been set for maternal mortality rate, infant mortality rate, infectious disease control, non-communicable disease management, and universal access to essential medicines.
With these targets, the policy demonstrates a strong commitment to developing an equitable, affordable, and sustainable healthcare system.
Implementation Strategy:-
The implementation strategy of the National Health Policy 2017 focuses on phased and decentralised execution, giving priority to evidence-based planning, continuous monitoring, and an outcome-oriented approach. Through digital health initiatives, institutional accountability, and transparent governance mechanisms, NHP 2017 aims to ensure ground-level effectiveness and sustainable health outcomes, while also making service delivery more efficient and citizen-centric.
Achievements:-
Under Ayushman Bharat–PMJAY, approximately 50 crore beneficiaries were provided with health insurance cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year, leading to a reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure.
Following the National Health Policy 2017, more than 1.7 lakh Health & Wellness Centres became operational, significantly improving the reach of primary healthcare and preventive services.
India has achieved a doctor-population ratio of 1:811, surpassing the WHO recommended norm of 1:1,000, reflecting improved access to healthcare personnel under NHP 2017.
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) decreased from 130 in 2014–16 to 93 per lakh live births in 2021, demonstrating improved access to maternal healthcare.
The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) decreased from 39 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 27 in 2021, reflecting the positive impact of public health interventions.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, over 10,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been opened, where generic medicines are available at 50–80% lower prices, further reducing out-of-pocket expenditure.
Challenges:-
Public health expenditure still remains around 1.3–1.5% of GDP, which is significantly lower than the policy target of 2.5% of GDP.
Poor Data & Health Information Systems: Limited real-time health data for policy planning and monitoring.
Rising Burden of NCDs: Non-communicable diseases account for 61.8% of all deaths in India, and prevention, early diagnosis, and effective management are still insufficient.
The urban–rural healthcare gap is still significant, with shortages of infrastructure and specialist services persisting in rural areas.
Implementation depends on individual states, resulting in inter-state disparities that make policy outcomes uneven.
Comparison with Global Health Goals:-
| INDICATOR | INDIA (SCORE AND RANK) | NHP 2017 TARGET | GLOBAL SDG TARGET (2030) |
| INFANT MORTALITY RATE (IMR)(PER1000) | 27/1000 (2021) | below 28 by 2019 | no fixed number at least 12/1000 |
| UNDER 5 MORTALITY RATE (U5MR) (PER1000) | 31/1000 (2021) | below 23 by 2025 | below 25 |
| MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE (MMR) (PER 100000) | 93/100000 (2021) | below 100 by 2020 | below 70 |
| LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH (YEARS) | 67.3 years (2021) | 70 by 2025 | – |
| NON COMMUNICABLE DISEASE BURDEN (%OF DEATH) | 61.8% (2016) | – | – |
Way Forwards:-
Strengthening primary healthcare and rural health infrastructure is essential to reducing regional disparities and improving access to health services. Greater emphasis on preventive care, especially for non-communicable diseases and maternal-child health, can reduce avoidable disease burden. Poor health data and limited real-time information systems can be improved by expanding digital health platforms, standardising data reporting across states, and integrating hospitals and primary centres with national health databases. Along with this, sustained investment in the health workforce and public health spending will support evidence-based policymaking, universal health coverage, and progress towards SDG-3 targets by 2030.
Conclusion:-
The National Health Policy 2017 has laid a strong foundation for improving health outcomes in India through a preventive, inclusive, and people-centric approach. While notable progress has been made in areas such as health workforce availability and access to services, persistent challenges like rising NCD burden and weak health data systems require sustained attention. Effective implementation of NHP 2017 depends on good governance, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making. Strengthening institutional capacity and accountability mechanisms will be crucial for translating policy intent into outcomes. With improved governance and coordinated action, India can move closer to achieving universal health coverage and SDG-3 goals by 2030.
