Cabinet approves launch of National Urban Health Mission | Source: Big News Network, May 1, 2013 |
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the launch of National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) to reduce rates of infant mortality, maternal mortality and for universal access to reproductive health care.
The scheme, which will focus on the primary health care needs of the urban poor, will be implemented in 779 cities and in towns that have a population of over 50,000. It will cover about 7.75 crore people.
The estimated cost of NUHM for a five year period is Rs.22,507 crore, with the Central Government’s share of Rs.16,955 crore.
The Centre-State funding pattern of the scheme will be seventy five is to twenty five.
However for North Eastern states and other special category states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the funding pattern between Centre and State governments will be ninety is to ten.
Recognizing the seriousness of the problem, urban health will be taken up as a thrust area for the Eleventh Five Year Plan.
The NUHM will be launched with focus on slums and other urban poor. At the state level, besides the state health mission and state health society and directorate, there would be a state urban health programme committee.
At the district level, similarly there would be a district urban health committee and at the city level, a health and sanitation planning committee.
At the ward slum level, there will be a slum cluster health and water and sanitation committee.
For promoting public health and cleanliness in urban slums, the Eleventh Five Year Plan will also encompass experiences of civil society organizations (CSO) working in urban slum clusters.
It will seek to build a bridge of NGO-GO partnership and develop community level monitoring of resources and their rightful use.
