National Health Mission

The National Health Mission is the Government of India’s umbrella programme for strengthening public health services in rural and urban areas. Its central goal is universal access to health care that people can obtain without barriers of location, social disadvantage or unaffordable cost.

Principal objective

The principal objective is to secure universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health-care services that are accountable and responsive to people’s needs. It also envisages coordinated action on the wider social determinants of health, because health outcomes depend on factors such as nutrition, sanitation and living conditions.

How the objective is pursued

• NHM prioritises health-system strengthening, including public facilities, health workers, medicines, diagnostics, referral services and management capacity.
• It promotes comprehensive primary health care and continuity of care across different levels of the health system.
• It seeks greater financial protection by reducing avoidable out-of-pocket expenditure on health care.
• Decentralised planning and community participation are intended to make services responsive to local needs.

Mission architecture

Established as an umbrella mission in 2013, NHM includes the National Rural Health Mission and the National Urban Health Mission as its two sub-missions. It is administered by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in partnership with states and Union territories.

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