Table 9: The Evolution of Public Health in India from the British Era till COVID-19
Year Initiative Details
1760 Indian Medical service The East India Company established an Indian medical service that provided medical treatment to British troops and local people.
1835 Calcutta Medical College First medical college in India
1904 Malaria Institute & Plague Committee At the time, infectious diseases were on the rise, hindering the indigenous medical system.
1946 Bhore Committee report Sir Joseph Bhore presented the committee report, which intended to integrate preventive and curative treatment. They also called for establishing medical facilities and central institutions in colonial India.
1948 Signatory to World Health Organization (WHO) Membership in the WHO has played a role in improving health by giving access to critical health services such as ’immunization, clean water, and sanitation.’ It also assists India in addressing health issues such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB.
1951 BCG Vaccines It became mandatory in India
1953 National Malarial Control Program Helped significantly lower malaria incidence in India from an estimated 75 million cases and 0.8 million fatalities per year.
1954 National Leprosy Control Program In reaction to the increasing incidence of leprosy in India, projected to be 1.2 million cases.
1955 National Filaria Control program Due to the high prevalence of lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis in India,
1963 Chadda Committee Advocated for the type of multipurpose healthcare worker.
1973 Kartar Singh committee The committee recommended that ANMs should be replaced by female healthcare personnel.
1978 World Health Assembly & ALMA-ATA declaration The Alma-Ata Declaration was signed by India, emphasizing the significance of primary health care and environmental sustainability.
1990 The Reproductive and Child Health program The initiative was launched, and the DOTS pilot project followed it.
2000 Millenium Development Goals India became a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals.
2002 National Health Policy To make healthcare more affordable, enhancing primary healthcare and boosting public health.
2003 COTPA Act (Cigarettes and other Tobacco products act) It was a significant step towards control of tobacco.
2005 Reproductive and Child Health Care Program (Part-2) & National Rural Health Mission In response to India’s high maternal and child death rates.
2006 Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) The government of India formed a public-private partnership institution to increase public health capacity in India via education, training, research, and policy formulation.
2007 Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) Primary healthcare centers and sub-facilities were assigned a set of standards.
2008 National Program for Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Disease (NPCDCS) Initially released in 2005. Assisted in the early identification and diagnosis of NCDs, with the goal of promoting a healthy lifestyle and improving disease management.
2011 National Program for Health Care Elderly (NPHCE) The mission of this program is to give complete healthcare services to elderly people in India.
2014 Swachh Bharat Mission Basically, aimed at sanitation
2014 Mission Indra-Dhanush By the year 2020, 89 lakh children have taken the vaccine.
2014 Mission Tuberculosis (Revised National TB Control Program- (RNTCP) The goal is to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) in India by 2025.
2017 Revised National Health Policy Comprehensive primary healthcare package that covers treatment for main NCDs (non-communicable diseases). Raise public health spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2025.
2018 Ayushman Bharat Program Addressing health concerns at all levels (primary, secondary, and tertiary) benefits 50 crores people.
2020 National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) The goal is to develop an integrated healthcare system that connects practitioners and patients via digital media and provides real-time health information.
2021 Covid-19 Vaccine Drive Massive immunization campaign to protect the entire population against COVID-19
Source: Authors compilation Source: Authors compilation Source: Authors compilation