Fifteen Years of NRHM/NHM in the State of Himachal Pradesh, India: A Narrative Review

Abstract

The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was started in India in the year 2005 to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care services to the rural population. The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) was also added in the year 2013 as a Sub-mission of an over-arching National Health Mission (NHM) to address the health issues of urban poor.  Following extension from the year 2012 to 2017, NHM envisaged to reduce MMR to 1/1000 live births, IMR to 25/1000 live births, reduce TFR to 2.1 and prevention and reduction of anemia in women aged 15–49 .NRHM now expanded as NHM has completed 15 years in 2020.The objective of the study is to assess the impact of NRHM/NHM on key health indicators in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India so as to guide the future policies. The impact of NRHM/NHM has been assessed based on the progress of  the key health indicators in the state as per the available surveys from the year 2005 to 2020. This study shows that NRHM/NHM has been able to make a good impact on majority of the key health indicators including IMR, full ANC, full immunization and institutional deliveries but there is a substantial rise in unmet need (family planning), anemia in pregnancy and obesity. There is a need to review the functioning of NRHM/NHM in the state for better outcomes.