US withdrawal from WHO will not impact ongoing programmes here: Union Health Minister JP Nadda

New Delhi [India], January 29 : The Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda, while talking about the National Health Mission (NHM) also assured that the US' withdrawal from WHO will not impact the ongoing programmes in India.
"Our projects and programmes will continue without disruption and India is one of the major contributors to the WHO," he said on Tuesday during a press briefing.
On January 20, United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the country from the World Health Organization. The order has mandated that all United States employ working in any capacity with WHO be recalled, and also mandated pause any future transfer of United States Government funds, support or resources with the WHO.
Nadda listed several major achievements made under NHM in the last 10 years as minister, he said, "Like PM Modi has said every Indian deserves an accessible, affordable and high-quality health service and for that, we need to ensure multi-dimensional intervention. By keeping this in mind, from the viewpoint of the National Health Mission, we have tried and many such interventions have come...main objective of the National Health Mission is to support states and union territories for universal access, equitable, affordable and quality service, accountable and responsible to people's need and effective intersectional convergent in action..."
He further highlighted how share of release of Central funder under NHM has seen a 185% growth since 2014.
"In NHM, the release of central funds, there has been a growth of 185% from 2014-2023. The total expenditure has become Rs 59,740 crores, yearly, growth is 146%...the biggest outcome is decline in maternal mortality ratio (MMR), which is more than global decline. Among 1 lakh births, Maternal mortality used to be 556, now it has come down to 97. It is 83% decline and the global decline is 45%," he noted.
Some new initiatives were added under NHM after 2014, including National Sickle Cell Anaemia Mission and Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) while many other initiatives have been reinvigorated like the National TB Elimination Programme, Mission Indradhanush (MI) etc.
"We have moved from 'high burden' to 'high impact' country, said the Union Health Minister.
NHM has engaged over 12 lakh Additional Healthcare Workers between FY 2021-24,
Maternal Mortality Rate has declined by 83% (from 556 to 97) since 1990, which is higher than the global decline of 45% (from 385 to 223). India has achieved the NHP 2020 goal in 2017 while Eight states have achieved the SDG goal of <70.
Infant Mortality Rate has declined by 69% from 89 to 28, compared to Global decline of 55%.
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has reduced from 3.4 in 1992-93 to 2.0 in 2019-20 (even crossed the replacement level of 2.1).
India demonstrated a higher decline of 75% (from 69 to 32 in 2020) in the reduction of Under 5 Mortality Rate in comparison to the global reduction of 60% since 1990
TB incidence reduced from 237 per 1,00,000 population in 2015 to 195 in 2023; TB mortality rate decreased from 28 to 22 in the same period. NTEP launched in 2020. Missing TB cases reduced significantly form 15 lakhs in 2015 to 1.5 lakh in 2024.
1.56 lakh Ni-kshay Mitra volunteers are supporting over 9.4 lakh TB patients under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.