India is making significant strides in digital health, with over 71.16 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) established as part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), Prataprao Jadha, the Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, told in the Rajya Sabha on December 17. As of December 10, this major initiative is transforming the healthcare landscape by enabling the digitalization of health records for millions of citizens.
The ABDM aims to create a seamless digital health ecosystem, with 3.54 lakh health facilities and 5.37 lakh healthcare professionals already registered on the platform. Additionally, around 45.99 crore health records have been linked to ABHA accounts, facilitating better management of health data across India.
The mission is a vital component of India's efforts to establish an integrated, interoperable online health platform. It aims to digitize health records for every individual, making healthcare services more efficient and accessible. The ABDM is closely aligned with various government health programs like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the National Tuberculosis Program, and reproductive child health schemes, further promoting the adoption of digital health records.
Strengthening Public Healthcare: National Health Mission Achievements
In addition to the digital health push, Jadhav also shared the remarkable achievements under the National Health Mission (NHM), which focuses on enhancing public healthcare infrastructure across the country. Key accomplishments include reducing the maternal mortality ratio to 97 per 100,000 live births between 2018 and 2020, lowering the infant mortality rate to 28 per 1,000 live births in 2020, and bringing down the total fertility rate to 2.0 between 2019 and 2021.
The NHM has launched several important initiatives to strengthen public health, such as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, National Ambulance Services, Mobile Medical Units, and Free Diagnostics and Drugs Service programs. Special focus has also been given to reproductive and child health programs, which aim to improve the well-being of mothers and children across India.
Financial Protection for Vulnerable Families
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) plays a pivotal role in providing financial protection to vulnerable families. Till December 12, 2024, 36.16-cr Ayushman Cards have been distributed, including 29.87 crore cards for rural beneficiaries. These cards offer health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year, ensuring that more families have access to essential healthcare services.
Mission Indradhanush: Boosting Immunization Coverage
Union Minister Anupriya Patel also shared updates on the Mission Indradhanush initiative, aimed at increasing immunization coverage across India. The mission has successfully vaccinated 5.46 crore children and 1.32 crore pregnant women, focusing on those who may have missed routine vaccination programs.
Under the Universal Immunization Programme, 11 vaccines are administered, contributing to higher vaccine coverage and helping protect millions of Indians from preventable diseases.