New Delhi: The government’s health expenditure as a percentage of the GDP fell from 1.35 in 2017-18 to 1.28 in the next year, according to the data released on Monday (September 12). While the Centre’s share in the total government health expenditure fell to 34.3 per cent in 2018-19, from 40.8 per cent in the previous year, the states’ share during the same period rose from 59.2 per cent to 65.7 per cent, the latest national health estimates showed. In the same period, the out-of-pocket expenditure as a percentage of the total health expenditure also fell from 48.8 to 48.2.
However, when compared with the figures of 2013-14, the out-of-pocket expenditure on health decreased substantially by 16 percentage points from 64.2 per cent.
Out-of-pocket expenditures are expenditures directly made by households at the point of receiving healthcare. This indicates the extent of financial protection available for households towards healthcare payments.
When it comes to the total health expenditure, it fell to 3.2 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2018-19, the last year for which the data is available, from 3.3 per cent in the preceding year and 4 per cent in 2013-14.
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The total health expenditure constitutes current and capital expenditures incurred by government and private sources, including external funds. As a percentage of the GDP, it indicates the health spending relative to a country’s economic development.
The total health expenditure per capita, which indicates the health expenditure per person in the country, at current prices, however, increased to Rs 4,470 in 2018-19, from Rs 4,297 in the previous year and from Rs 3,638 in 2013-14.
The social safety net for healthcare expenditure increased from 6 per cent in 2013-14 to 9.6 per cent in 2018-2019.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
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