Regional Report: Palliative Care Policy - India [Новость добавлена - 21.07.2008]

Palliative Care in India and Government Action

Economically, the last decade appears to have been good for India. The gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average rate of 6.4 per cent per year.  The population growth slowed for the first time in decades.  Literacy rose from 52 to 65 per cent during the 1990s. Between 1993 and 1999, at least 90 million Indians rose out of poverty and the poverty ratio declined from 36 to 27 per cent. 

Unfortunately, the economic progress does not seem to have been matched on the health front.  India continues to be among t

e top ten for almost any communicable disease, and remains the world leader in diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease2. This paradoxical situation is explained by the low priority given to health by India’s planners.  The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that 5% of any nation’s spending should be on health. India’s national health policy mentions 3%, but the reality seems to be different. In India’s national budget for 2008-09, the proposed spending on health remains at about 1%.  It appears that the planners have forgotten the ancient adage, “Health is wealth”…

On the policy front, the state of Kerala has taken positive steps.  On the 15th of April, 2008, it became the first state government in India to declare a palliative care policy…

M.R.Rajagopal MD
Professor of Pain and Palliative Medicine, SUT Academy of Medical Sciences
Chairman, Pallium India and IAHPC Board Member

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http://www.hospicecare.com/news/08/07/regional.html