GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
RAJYASABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1317
TO BE ANSWERED ON 1ST DECEMBER, 2009
Public Health Spending

1317. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government is aware of the recent study conducted by WHO whose findings reveal that India ranks 171 out of the 175 countries in the world in public health spending;
(b) whether there has been no increase in public health spending over the last few years, making the country overtly dependent on private sector; and
(c) if so, the steps Government proposes to take to increase and efficiently utilize the health budget for enhancing public healthcare and tackling existing epidemics and new diseases such as H1N1 flu etc.?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)

(a): According to World Health Organization (WHO) no study has been conducted in the recent past, which ranks the countries by public health spending,
(b)& (c): As per the National Health Accounts India 2004-05 (with provisional estimates from 2005-06 to 2008-09), public spending on health in the country for the last 3 years is estimated as follows:

(Rs. In crore)

The information on expenditure for the current year is not available

The Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-12) aims to raise public health spending to at least 2% of GDP during the Plan period.

To increase, efficiently utilize the health budget and to support the public health system in the States, Government of India has launched the National Rural Health Mission in 2005 and this has an outlay of Rs.90,558 crore during the n" Plan period. The Mission aims to provide quality health services, which are accessible, affordable and accountable. It also strengthens the primary health care in the country.

The allocation for a number of other programmers for tackling existing epidemics and new diseases has also been enhanced substantially in the first two years of the Plan period. To tackle HINI, significant amount is being spent during the current financial year.