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 equitable, affordable and quality health care without barriers of location, social disadvantage or unaffordable cost.

Objectives and approach

NHM seeks health services that are accountable and responsive to people’s needs while recognising that nutrition, sanitation and living conditions are important social determinants of health.

• It 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 to reduce avoidable out-of-pocket expenditure through stronger public health services.
• 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.

Role of Accredited Social Health Activists

An Accredited Social Health Activist, or ASHA, is a trained female community health activist who acts as an interface between the community and the public health system. Her role combines health awareness, mobilisation, basic community-level care and referral support.

• ASHAs create awareness about health, nutrition, sanitation, contraception, immunisation and available public services.
• They mobilise and assist people, especially pregnant women and children, to obtain antenatal care, institutional delivery, postnatal care and immunisation.
• They conduct home visits for maternal and newborn care, promote breastfeeding, identify danger signs and facilitate timely referral to health facilities.
• They provide specified basic supplies and community-level care after training, while encouraging appropriate use of health facilities.
• They support community participation and communicate local health needs to frontline workers and public health institutions.
• ASHAs generally receive performance-based incentives for designated activities under government health programmes.