Centre, States Chart New Roadmap for Stronger Healthcare

Addressing the conference, Nadda said that a developed India by 2047 can only be achieved with a healthy population, describing healthcare as one of the country's most important pillars of development.

The 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW) brought together the Centre and State governments to review India's healthcare progress and outline priorities for the years ahead. Chaired by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, the meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the Centre and States while discussing ways to improve access to affordable, equitable and quality healthcare across the country.

The conference served as a platform to assess the performance of major national health programmes, address emerging public health challenges and launch a series of new policy initiatives designed to strengthen emergency care, maternal and child health, and the fight against anaemia. Representatives from several states, senior health officials, NITI Aayog members and healthcare experts participated in the discussions.

India Highlights Major Gains in Public Health

Addressing the conference, Nadda said that a developed India by 2047 can only be achieved with a healthy population, describing healthcare as one of the country's most important pillars of development. He noted that the National Health Policy 2017 shifted India's healthcare approach from focusing mainly on treatment to a broader model that includes prevention, health promotion, rehabilitation and palliative care alongside curative services.

The Health Minister highlighted the expansion of healthcare infrastructure over the past decade, stating that nearly 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established as the first point of contact for millions of people while strengthening links between primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare. He also pointed to the establishment of 23 new AIIMS and more than 157 medical colleges, particularly in underserved and aspirational districts.

Presenting improvements in health indicators, Nadda said India's Maternal Mortality Ratio has fallen from 130 to 87 deaths per one lakh live births since 2014. Referring to the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Report 2024, he said India recorded an 86 percent decline in maternal mortality, significantly higher than the global decline of 48 percent.

He also noted that the country's Under-Five Mortality Rate has declined by 79 percent since 1990, while Neonatal Mortality has dropped by 70 percent, both outperforming global averages. India's Total Fertility Rate now stands at 2.0, and life expectancy has increased to 70.3 years, reflecting continued improvements in public health.

Vaccination, Disease Control and Preventive Care Expanded

The Health Minister highlighted the achievements of Mission Indradhanush, under which 5.46 crore children who had missed routine immunisation and 1.32 crore pregnant women have been vaccinated. He also said that more than 50 lakh adolescent girls have received the HPV vaccine since the nationwide vaccination drive began on 28 February 2026, acknowledging the active role played by states in the campaign.

India has also recorded substantial progress in controlling communicable diseases. According to the latest WHO Global Tuberculosis Report, the country achieved a 21 percent reduction in TB incidence, compared to a global decline of 12 percent, while treatment coverage reached 92 percent, well above the global average of 78 percent.

Nadda added that India has eliminated neonatal tetanus, maintained its polio-free status, made significant progress towards eliminating kala-azar and reduced malaria cases by 81 percent, with malaria-related deaths declining by 80 percent. He also noted continued improvements in leprosy control and lymphatic filariasis elimination programmes.

On preventive healthcare, he said Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have screened more than 42 crore people each for hypertension and diabetes since 2018, leading to the diagnosis of 7.3 crore hypertension cases and 5 crore diabetes cases. Large-scale screening has also been carried out for oral, breast and cervical cancers, while more than 65,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have received certification under the National Quality Assurance Standards.

New Health Initiatives Launched

The conference witnessed the launch of several major policy initiatives designed to improve healthcare delivery across the country. Among them was the Operational Guidelines on National Ambulance Services (NAS) 2026, which establish uniform standards for emergency medical transport covering ambulance infrastructure, staffing, equipment, digital integration and quality assurance across all states and Union Territories.

Nadda also launched the SUMAN Roadmap 2030, a strategic framework intended to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare by improving service quality, promoting respectful maternity care and reducing preventable maternal and neonatal deaths.

Another key initiative introduced during the conference was the Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK), which combines Home-Based Newborn Care and Home-Based Care for Young Children into a single programme supporting children from birth to five years through home visits, early illness detection, nutrition counselling and timely referrals.

The meeting also marked the launch of the revamped Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, which expands the programme through saturation-based screening, digital beneficiary tracking, improved case management, stronger nutrition interventions and wider awareness campaigns promoting healthy dietary practices.

Concluding the conference, Nadda urged all States and Union Territories to continue working closely with the Centre, saying that sustained cooperation remains essential for building stronger public health systems and ensuring that healthcare reforms deliver lasting benefits to every citizen across the country.