Appropriate local community-level healthcare intervention is a prerequisite to achieve ‘Health for All’ in India. Explain.
Approach · directive: “explain”
What it asks · Explain why community-based primary care is the base of 'Health for All', how India's community-level programmes deliver it, and where they fall short.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- Explain why community-level healthcare intervention is a prerequisite for 'Health for All': reach, cost, disease profile, social determinants, participation
- Show the community models India has built, where they fall short, and the way forward
Open with · 'Health for All', the Alma-Ata goal of 1978, rests on primary care close to homes; Article 47 also directs the State to improve public health, and most illness can be prevented in the community.
Cover
- Reach and cost: local workers reach poor households early, preventing costly hospitalisation and out-of-pocket spending.
- Disease profile: maternal, child, communicable and chronic illness are best prevented and screened locally; Health and Wellness Centres (2018) aim at comprehensive primary care.
- Social determinants: the Eleventh Schedule lists health and sanitation among Panchayat functions; participation through Rogi Kalyan Samitis improves accountability.
- Proven models: Chhattisgarh's Mitanin programme (2003) inspired ASHAs under NRHM (2005); SEARCH's home-based newborn care in Gadchiroli.
- Gaps: weak referral links, staff and drug shortages, ASHAs on task-based incentives, low public spending (NHP 2017 target: 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2025).
- Way forward: the 15th Finance Commission's ₹70,051 crore health grants to local bodies; referral chains, trained workers, convergence with nutrition and sanitation.
Close with · Community care is the base, not the whole: with referral hospitals and adequate funding, it moves India towards SDG target 3.8, universal health coverage with financial risk protection.
Add value (verified)
- The Eleventh Schedule places health and sanitation, including hospitals, primary health centres and dispensaries, among the subjects that can be devolved to Panchayats.The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2024), Eleventh Schedule, entry 23 — Legislative Department ↗“Health and sanitation, including hospitals, primary health centres and dispensaries”
- Article 47 makes it the State's duty to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health.The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2024) - Legislative Department ↗“Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health.”
- Chhattisgarh's Mitanin programme, a statewide community health worker intervention launched in 2003, was the inspiration for the ASHA programme.Update on the ASHA Programme, July 2011 - National Health Systems Resource Centre (MoHFW) ↗“a community health worker intervention launched in 2003 which covered the entire state of Chhattisgarh, and which was the inspiration for the ASHA programme”
- The 15th Finance Commission (2021–26) recommended health grants of ₹70,051 crore for local bodies, to plug primary health care gaps.Health Sector Grant of Rs.8,453.92 crore released to Local Bodies of 19 States - PIB release ↗“The grants recommended by the Commission inter-alia include health grants of Rs.70,051 crore.”
- SDG target 3.8: achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection.Goal 3 - United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Sustainable Development ↗“Target 3.8 Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2018, GS Paper II — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 225words · Minimalist IAS
'Health for All', the Alma-Ata goal of 1978, rests on primary care close to homes, and Article 47 directs the State to improve public health. Most illness can be prevented in the community.
Why community care is a prerequisite
- Reach and cost: local workers reach poor households early, preventing costly hospitalisation and out-of-pocket spending.
- Disease profile: maternal, child, communicable and chronic illness are best screened locally; Health and Wellness Centres (2018) aim at comprehensive primary care.
- Social determinants: the Eleventh Schedule lists health and sanitation among Panchayat functions.
- Participation: community monitoring and Rogi Kalyan Samitis give people oversight of health facilities.
Proven community models
- Mitanin to ASHA: Chhattisgarh's Mitanin programme (2003) inspired the ASHA of the National Rural Health Mission (2005).
- Newborn care: SEARCH's home-based care in Gadchiroli showed village workers save newborns.
- ASHA in the village
- Health and Wellness Centre
- Community Health Centre
- District hospital
Gaps and way forward
- Gaps: weak referral links, staff and drug shortages, and ASHAs paid task-based incentives.
- Funding: the National Health Policy 2017 targets public spending of 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2025; since then, the 15th Finance Commission has earmarked ₹70,051 crore of health grants for local bodies (2021–26).
Community care is the base, not the whole: with referral hospitals and adequate funding, it moves India towards SDG target 3.8, universal health coverage with financial risk protection.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
