Identify the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that are related to health.Discuss the success of the actions taken by the Government to achieve the same.

GS 2

Social Justice

2013

10 Marks

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were established by the UN in 2000 to address global poverty and development challenges by 2015. Three of the eight MDGs specifically targeted health improvements.

Health-Related MDGs

MDG 4: Reduce Child Mortality

Target: Reduce Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) by two-thirds between 1990-2015
Focus: Infant and child survival, immunization coverage
Key Indicators: U5MR, Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), immunization rates
Scope: Addressing pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, and neonatal complications
Timeline: 25-year reduction target from baseline 1990 data

MDG 5: Improve Maternal Health

Target: Reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by three-quarters
Focus: Safe childbirth, skilled birth attendance, reproductive health
Key Indicators: MMR, skilled birth attendance, contraceptive prevalence
Scope: Addressing hemorrhage, sepsis, unsafe abortion complications
Additional: Universal access to reproductive health services

MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases

Target: Halt and reverse spread of major diseases
Focus: HIV/AIDS prevention, malaria control, tuberculosis treatment
Key Indicators: HIV prevalence, malaria incidence, TB detection rates
Scope: Disease prevention, treatment access, awareness campaigns
Additional: Access to essential medicines and treatment

Government Success in Achieving Health MDGs

MDG	Achievement	Key Performance
Child Mortality	Exceeded Target	78% reduction in U5MR vs 67% target
Maternal Health	Significant Progress	86% reduction in MMR (1990-2015)
Disease Control	Mixed Results	HIV stabilized, malaria reduced, TB challenges remain

Major Government Initiatives

Child Health Programs:

Mission Indradhanush (2014): Achieved 90% immunization coverage
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): Nutrition and healthcare for 10 crore children
Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram: Early detection and treatment of diseases
Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram: Free delivery and transport services

Maternal Health Interventions:

Janani Suraksha Yojana (2005): Cash incentives for institutional deliveries increased from 39% to 89%
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan: Monthly checkups for pregnant women
Skilled Birth Attendant Training: Trained over 2.5 lakh healthcare workers

Disease Control Programs:

National AIDS Control Programme: HIV prevalence reduced from 0.34% to 0.22% (2017)
National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme: Malaria deaths decreased by 60%
Revised National TB Control Programme: Treatment success rate of 85%

Current Health Status and Achievements

MMR: Declined from 556 (1990) to 97 per 100,000 live births (2018-20)
IMR: Reduced from 80 (1990) to 28 per 1000 live births (2020)
U5MR: Decreased from 126 (1990) to 35 per 1000 live births (2020)
Life Expectancy: Increased from 58 years (1990) to 70 years (2020)

India's success in health MDGs demonstrates effective policy implementation and healthcare system strengthening, providing a strong foundation for achieving SDG-3 (Good Health and Well-being) by 2030.

Answer Length

Model answers may exceed the word limit for better clarity and depth. Use them as a guide, but always frame your final answer within the exam’s prescribed limit.

In just 60 sec