International experts on health meet Dr.A.Ramadoss
Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss, Minister of Health and Family Welfare has said that the Government is committed to increase the expenditure in health sector from the current level of 0.9 per cent of GDP to 2-3 per cent of GDP over the next five years, with the main focus on Preimary Health Care. Dr. Ramadoss was speaking to an International group of health experts. He said that the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was launched in 2005 by the Prime Minister and is being operationalised from the financial year 2005-06 throughout the country. The Government is also looking at various options of strengthening health insurance cover for our rural population. These efforts would help in dramatically scaling up the access of our poor population to essential health services, the minister added.
The International group of health experts led by Dr. Jeffery Sachs, Centre on Globalisation and Sustainable Development of the Earth Institute of Columbia University, New York. Dr.Jeffery Sachs was also the Chair of WHO’s “Commission on Macro-economics and Health.” The group of experts focused on the following aspects.
(1) Process of health structure reforms to increase optimization and fidelity of health assets through improved management of non-health factors of public health.
(2) Analyzing human resources/skills needed for public health management at primary, secondary and tertiary levels under the state and central governments.
(3) Decentralization and improving local/community ownership of management, maintenance and resource generation.
(4) Financing of the rural health system.
(5) Implementation of the new training in public health.
(6) Nutrition and growing challenges of diabetes and hypertension.
(7) Management of HT and cardiovascular diseases in rural areas.
(8) Management of neglected tropical diseases, and
(9) Control of malaria.
The group of experts elaborated their views and suggestions to the Minister in respect of process of health sector reforms, financing including insurance and risk protection for the poor, improving nutritional and maternal and child health, addressing emerging non-communicable diseases, public health approaches for HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Kala-azar and TB as well as Public-Private partnership for providing essential health services.
The discussions were mutually beneficial and fruitful.
SRK/ska