In recent discourse at the Parliament House, several significant updates regarding the health and agriculture sectors of India surfaced. The discussion revolved around key points such as the National Health Mission (NHM), aquaculture, and the Gender Index. These topics hold notable relevance in terms of their societal and economic implications for the country.
Key Developments in the Indian Health Sector
One of the pinnacle achievements discussed was the eradication of leprosy as a public health problem in India. According to the World Health Organization’s criterion, an ailment is considered eradicated if there are less than one case per 10,000 population at the national level – a criterion set in 2005. As a result of interventions under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme, the number of new detected cases reduced from 125,785 in 2014-15 to 75,394 in 2021-22.
The advancements in the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme were another focal point. As of date, 26 states and Union Territories have implemented this scheme using either the National Health Mission budget or a combined budget of NHM and the state. Through the scheme, nearly 3.49 million girls were given monthly sanitary napkin packs in 2021-22.
Challenges to Women’s Health
A significant step towards women’s health security has been taken by the Department of Pharmaceuticals through the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janausadhi Pariyojna. Under this project, more than 8,800 Janaushidhi Kendras were established nationwide, providing affordable and environmentally-friendly sanitary napkins.
Non-Communicable Diseases & Gender Gap
Concerning non-communicable diseases (NCDs), their prevalence in India increased from 30.5% in 1990 to 55.4% in 2016. Moreover, the Global Gender Gap Index ranking of India improved in 2022 compared to 2021, as reported by the World Economic Forum.
Child Health and Cancer due to Arsenic Contamination
Unfortunately, a joint study by NITI Aayog and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research found that approximately 275 million Indian children under the age of 19 have high blood lead levels. Additionally, Assam and Bihar witnessed increased cancer cases due to arsenic contamination, with Assam reporting around 39,787 cases and Bihar approximately 109,274 cases in 2022.
Indian Agriculture Sector Updates
Turning to the agricultural sector, there has been a slight decline in India’s cultivable land area from 1,80,624 thousand hectares in 2018-19 to 1,79,993 thousand hectares in 2019-20. This decrease primarily resulted from land diversion for non-agricultural purposes, such as urbanization and infrastructure development. Despite this, non-agricultural land is also being utilized for farming through various government initiatives.
Fish Production and Aquaculture in India
In the realm of aquaculture, India ranks as the third-largest fish-producing nation globally, contributing about 8% to global fish production and holding second position in aquaculture production. The country recorded a total fish production of 16.24 million tonnes in 2021-22, which includes marine fish production of 4.12 million tonnes and 12.12 million tonnes from aquaculture.
This comprehensive revision of India’s health and agricultural sectors data highlights the country’s progress and the challenges it faces, paving the way for solutions and effective strategies.
