Although India has made great progress on the economic front, our progress in healthcare has so far been extraordinarily limited, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said at an international conference in Mumbai on Saturday. “Our neighbouring countries -- Bangladesh, China and Nepal, with similar or even lower income levels than India, have better health and social indicators, including lower infant and maternal mortality rates, better percentage in girl education and improved sanitation facilities,” Sen lamented. “No country has ever successfully provided universal health coverage without the strong support and commitment of the public health sector,” he continued. Thus, public healthcare should include the social determinants of health, such as nutrition, sanitation and social equity. “A higher proportion of GDP in healthcare, more recognition for the central role of public healthcare, better work ethics, along with the urgent need for efficient, sustainable initiatives can be the only way to bring about a change, Sen suggested.

Source: Hindustan Times January 28, 2017 15:47 UTC