India is working to build a well-functioning health system that anchors and supports efforts to improve healthcare access, quality and affordability for all.
USAID’s strategic investments strongly align with the priorities of the National Health Mission and the ambitious Ayushman Bharat flagship program. USAID supports are geared towards initiating comprehensive primary healthcare across the country, developing effective urban health systems and strengthening national and state-level planning processes. USAID partners are also engaged in generating evidence on the effect of transformative innovations, including both products and service delivery models, to allow India's policymakers to scale what works.
An effective health system relies on the building blocks of a trained and motivated health workforce, well-maintained infrastructure, reliable supply of medicines and technologies, adequate funding, strong planning and evidence-based policies. While India's health system has made significant strides in expanding infrastructure, recruiting a larger health workforce, introducing different financing models and moving towards more data-driven decision making, significant gaps continue to exist. About three-fifth of the health workforce is concentrated in urban areas, where just a third of the population resides. Further, two-thirds of practising allopathic doctors do not have the required qualifications to practise allopathy.