A Lancet Commission report on ‘Investing in Health’ has set a global target of cutting the probability of premature death (before age 70) by half by 2050. The authors of the report, including members from Public Health Foundation of India, call it “50-by-50”. It explains that while on average a 2019-born person had a 31 per cent chance of dying before turning 70 years of age, if the “50-by-50” goal is achieved, a 2050-born individual would expect to have only a 15 percent chance of dying before turning 70.
It lays down 15 priority conditions that need to be focused on through effective universal health coverage (UHC). Eight are about infections and maternity issues such as neonatal care, lower respiratory tract infections, diarrhoeal diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, childhood cluster of diseases, and maternal conditions; seven are about non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries including atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, haemorrhagic stroke, NCDs linked to infections, linked to tobacco use, diabetes, road injury and suicide.
Although it is a golden opportunity for India’s health sector—including mental health—to rally around, serious challenges persist. The average life expectancy in India was 67.24 years in 2022—as against 84.45 in Japan, 78.21 in China and 76.33 in the US in 2021. Cutting early mortality pertaining to deaths due to NCDs linked to cardiovascular issues, tobacco consumption, diabetes, road injuries and suicide will need not just medical treatment, but education and awareness for prevention, too.
On August 2, Union Minister of state for Health, Anupriya Patel, told the Lok Sabha that the doctor-population ratio in the country was 1:836, better than the World Health Organization standard of 1:1000. But the ratio does not help by itself. It is the equitable reach and penetration of medical services to the vast Indian population—including those in remote areas—that matters.
Government health insurance covers just about an estimated 40 percent of the population. And, unfortunately, most doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists in India are concentrated in urban and semi-urban areas, leaving a large rural outback lacking adequate medical or counselling services. UHC means all get access to quality health services without financial hardship. Much needs to be done to ensure healthier, longer and happier lives for all 140 crore Indians.