“Besides being a moral imperative of a Welfare State, primary health structure is a necessary precondition for sustainable development.” Analyse. UPSC IAS Mains 2021 General Studies (Paper – 2)
Primary health care is a term used to describe the first contact a person has with the health system when they have a health problem. The Welfare State is a concept of government in which the State plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens.
Primary health structure is a moral imperative of a Welfare State:
- Right to Health is a part and parcel of Right to Life and therefore right to health is a fundamental right guaranteed to every citizen of India under Article 21 of the Constitution.
- As a Directive Principle of State Policy, Article 47 talks about raising the level of nutrition and the standard of living of people and to improve public health. It provides an obligation on the state to provide primary health facilities.
Primary health care is the most efficient and effective way to achieve health for all. Primary health structure is a necessary precondition for sustainable development in the following ways:
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 talks about ‘Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages’. Access to quality health care would not be possible without an effective primary health structure.
- Lack of availability of subsidised and timely treatment leads to affordability issues and creates a vicious cycle of poverty and heightens the out of pocket expenditure of people.
- Health conditions, disabilities, and unhealthy behaviors can all have an effect on educational outcomes and can also lead to social exclusion.
- At a societal level, poor population health is associated with lower savings rates, lower rates of return on capital, and lower levels investment; all of these factors can and do contribute to reductions in economic growth.
As recognized in the 2018 Astana Declaration, the Primary Health Care approach is the most effective way to sustainably solve today’s health challenges. The National Health Policy 2017 envisages providing a larger package of assured comprehensive primary health care through the Health and Wellness Centers’ and advocates allocating major proportion of resources to primary care.
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