National health Programmes

Of India
[Link] vector disease control programme

The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) is a national

public health programme under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

It aims to prevent and control vector-borne diseases through integrated vector

management, early diagnosis, prompt treatment, surveillance, and community
participation

Diseases Included
Malaria
Dengue fever
Chikungunya
Japanese encephalitis
Lymphatic filariasis
Kala-azar

Strategies
Integrated Vector Management (source reduction, larvicides, insecticides,
biological control).
Early case detection and prompt treatment.
Disease surveillance and outbreak response.
Indoor residual spraying and distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets (where
indicated).
Health education and community participation.
Capacity building of healthcare workers.
Intersectoral coordination with local bodies and other departments.
Targets
Eliminate Kala-azar as a public health problem.
Eliminate Lymphatic filariasis.
Reduce morbidity and mortality due to Malaria, Dengue fever, Chikungunya,
and Japanese encephalitis.
Prevent and rapidly control outbreaks.

Key Indicators
Annual Parasite Incidence (API) for malaria.
Malaria positivity rate and malaria mortality.
Dengue incidence and case fatality rate.
Chikungunya incidence.
Japanese encephalitis cases and deaths.
Microfilaria rate and Mass Drug Administration (MDA) coverage for
lymphatic filariasis.
Kala-azar incidence (<1 case per 10,000 population at block level is the
elimination target).

Organisation
National level: National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC),
Directorate General of Health Services.
State level: State Vector Borne Disease Control Cells.
District level: District Vector Borne Disease Control Units.
Peripheral level: Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, Sub-
centres, Health and Wellness Centres, and community health workers
(including ASHAs).
2. National Tuberculosis Elimination
Programme (NTEP)
The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme
(NTEP), formerly known as the Revised National
Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), is India’s
national programme for the prevention, diagnosis,
treatment, and elimination of Tuberculosis.

a) Objectives
Achieve TB elimination in India by 2025 (ahead of the global
target of 2030).
Reduce TB incidence and mortality.
Ensure early diagnosis and universal drug susceptibility
testing.
Provide free, quality-assured diagnosis and treatment.
Prevent transmission through contact tracing and preventive
therapy.
Engage the private sector in TB notification and treatment.

b) Strategies & Targets

Strategies
Early diagnosis using rapid molecular tests.
Universal Drug Susceptibility Testing (UDST).
Daily fixed-dose combination (FDC) treatment.
Patient-centred care and treatment support.
Active case finding in high-risk populations.
Contact investigation and TB preventive treatment.
Public-private mix (PPM).
Digital surveillance through Nikshay.
Airborne infection control measures.
Targets
TB-free India by 2025.
Reduce TB incidence and deaths.
Universal access to diagnosis and treatment.
100% notification of TB cases from public and private
sectors.
Universal drug susceptibility testing for diagnosed TB
patients.

c) Components
Case detection and diagnosis.
Quality-assured laboratory services.
Free anti-TB treatment.
Drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) management.
TB-HIV collaborative activities.
Recording, reporting, and surveillance.
Public-private partnership (PPM).
Information, Education, and Communication (IEC)/
Behaviour Change Communication (BCC).
Logistics and drug supply management.
Monitoring and evaluation.

d) Organisation – Laboratory Network

Administrative Structure
Central TB Division (National level)
State TB Cells
District TB Centres (DTCs)
Tuberculosis Units (TU)
Designated Microscopy Centres (DMCs)
Health facilities and community workers (ASHAs)
Laboratory Network
Designated Microscopy Centres (Ziehl–Neelsen/LED fluorescence
microscopy)
CBNAAT centres
TrueNat laboratories
Culture and Drug Susceptibility Testing (C&DST) laboratories
Intermediate Reference Laboratories (IRLs)
National Reference Laboratories (NRLs)
e) Newer Initiatives
Nikshay: Web-based TB patient management and notification system.
Nikshay Mitra: Community support programme providing nutritional and
social support to TB patients.
Universal Drug Susceptibility Testing (UDST).
Active Case Finding (ACF).
Daily Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) regimen.
TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) for eligible contacts.
Digital adherence technologies (e.g., 99DOTS in some settings).
Public–Private Mix (PPM) strengthening.
Use of molecular diagnostics (CBNAAT and TrueNat) for rapid diagnosis.

f) Note on Nikshay Poshan Yojana

The Nikshay Poshan Yojana is a nutritional support scheme for patients with
Tuberculosis.
Objectives
Improve nutritional status of TB patients.
Enhance treatment adherence and treatment success.
Reduce catastrophic expenditure due to TB.
Benefits
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of ₹500 per month during the course of anti-
TB treatment (subject to current government guidelines).
Money is transferred directly to the patient’s bank account through the
Nikshay portal.
Eligibility
All notified TB patients receiving treatment under NTEP (public or notified
private sector), subject to prevailing programme guidelines.
Importance
Improves nutrition.
Reduces treatment default.
Improves treatment outcomes and supports TB elimination efforts.
[Link] Leprosy Eradication
Programme (NLEP)
The National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) is the national programme
for the control and elimination of Leprosy in India. It is implemented by the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through the general healthcare system.

Objectives
Detect leprosy cases early.
Provide free and complete Multidrug Therapy (MDT) to all
patients.
Prevent disabilities and deformities through early diagnosis and
treatment.
Reduce stigma and discrimination associated with leprosy.
Promote rehabilitation and social integration of affected persons.
Achieve interruption of disease transmission.

Strategies
Early case detection through active and passive surveillance.
Free MDT at all government health facilities.
Contact screening and regular follow-up of household contacts.
Disability Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation (DPMR).
Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities.
Community participation and capacity building of healthcare
workers.
Integration of leprosy services into the general health system.
Components
Case detection and confirmation.
Multidrug therapy (MDT).
Surveillance and monitoring.
Disability prevention and rehabilitation.
IEC/Behaviour Change Communication (BCC).
Training of health personnel.
Recording and reporting.

Organisation
National Level: Central Leprosy Division.
State Level: State Leprosy Cells.
District Level: District Leprosy Officers/Programme
Units.
Peripheral Level: Primary Health Centres, Community
Health Centres, Health and Wellness Centres, and
ASHAs.

Targets
Sustain elimination of leprosy as a public health
problem.
Detect all new cases early.
Reduce Grade-2 disability among new cases.
Reduce childhood leprosy cases.
Move towards zero leprosy transmission, zero
disability, and zero stigma/discrimination.
SPARSH Leprosy Awareness Campaign
The SPARSH Leprosy Awareness Campaign is a nationwide
awareness campaign conducted under the National Leprosy
Eradication Programme (NLEP).

Objectives
Increase awareness about the early signs and symptoms of
leprosy.
Encourage early diagnosis and prompt treatment.
Reduce stigma, myths, and discrimination.
Promote inclusion and respect for persons affected by leprosy.

Key Features
Conducted every year around Anti-Leprosy Day (30 January).
Community awareness through rallies, street plays, school
programmes, village meetings, posters, and mass media.
Involvement of health workers, ASHAs, local leaders, NGOs,
and self-help groups.
Emphasizes that leprosy is curable with free MDT and that
early treatment prevents disability.

Importance
Improves early case detection.
Promotes treatment completion.
Reduces transmission by identifying cases early.
Helps eliminate stigma and discrimination in the community.
National Rural Health Mission
(NRHM)
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was launched by the
Government of India in 2005 to improve the availability,
accessibility, affordability, and quality of healthcare for the rural
population, especially vulnerable groups. In 2013, NRHM became
a sub-mission of the National Health Mission (NHM).

Objectives
Provide accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare in rural areas.
Reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate
(IMR).
Achieve population stabilization.
Ensure universal access to reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and
adolescent health (RMNCH+A) services.
Control communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Strengthen public health infrastructure and human resources.
Promote community participation in health planning.

Strategies
Strengthening Sub-centres, Primary Health Centres (PHCs),
Community Health Centres (CHCs), and District Hospitals.
Deployment of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)
workers.
Decentralized district health planning.
Community participation through Village Health, Sanitation
and Nutrition Committees (VHSNCs).
Integration of national health programmes.
Public-private partnerships where appropriate.
Mobile medical units and emergency referral services.
Capacity building and training of healthcare workers.
Components
ASHA Programme.
Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY).
Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK).
Strengthening of health infrastructure.
Mobile Medical Units (MMUs).
Village Health and Nutrition Days (VHNDs).
Integrated Disease Surveillance.
Health Management Information System (HMIS).
Maternal, child, and adolescent health services.

Organisation
National Level: Mission Steering Group and Empowered Programme
Committee under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
State Level: State Health Mission.
District Level: District Health Mission.
Block Level: Block Programme Management Units.
Village Level: ASHA workers and Village Health, Sanitation and
Nutrition Committees (VHSNCs).

Achievements
Increased institutional deliveries.
Expanded immunization coverage.
Reduced maternal and infant mortality.
Strengthened rural health infrastructure.
Improved availability of essential drugs and
diagnostics.
Enhanced community participation through
ASHAs.
National AIDS Control Programme (NACP)

The National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) is the national programme

for the prevention and control of Human immunodeficiency virus infection
and Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in India. It is implemented by
the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) under the **Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare.

Objectives
Prevent new HIV infections.
Provide universal access to prevention, testing, treatment, care, and
support services.
Reduce HIV-related morbidity and mortality.
Eliminate stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV
(PLHIV).
Strengthen surveillance, monitoring, and programme management.
Strategies & Targets

Strategies
Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) and Behaviour Change Communication

(BCC).
Targeted Interventions (TIs) for high-risk groups.
HIV testing and counselling through Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTCs).
Free Antiretroviral Therapy (ART).
Prevention of Parent-to-Child Transmission (PPTCT).
Blood safety through screening of all donated blood.
Management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/reproductive tract infections (RTIs).
Condom promotion and harm reduction services.
Community participation and partnership with NGOs.
Targets
Reduce new HIV infections.
Achieve universal access to HIV prevention and treatment.
Eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Reduce AIDS-related deaths.
Achieve the global 95–95–95 HIV targets:
95% of people living with HIV know their status.
95% of those diagnosed receive ART.
95% of those on ART achieve viral suppression.

Components
Targeted Interventions (TIs).
Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTCs).
Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Centres and Link ART
Centres.
Prevention of Parent-to-Child Transmission (PPTCT).
Blood Safety Programme.
STI/RTI control services.
Laboratory services.
HIV surveillance.
IEC/BCC and community mobilization.
Care, support, and treatment services.
 Organisation
National Level: National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).
State Level: State AIDS Control Societies (SACS).
District Level: District AIDS Prevention and Control Units
(DAPCUs).
Service Delivery: ICTCs, ART Centres, Link ART Centres,
Blood Centres, STI Clinics, and community-based
organizations.
Laboratory Network
Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTCs).
HIV Screening Laboratories.
State Reference Laboratories (SRLs).
National Reference Laboratories (NRLs).
Viral Load Testing Laboratories.
Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) Laboratories.
Blood centres for mandatory HIV screening of donated blood.
Newer Initiatives
Test and Treat Policy: Immediate ART for every person diagnosed with HIV, regardless of CD4 count.
Multi-month dispensing of ART for stable patients.
Viral load monitoring for treatment success.
Differentiated service delivery models.
HIV self-testing in selected settings.
Integration of HIV services with other national health programmes.
Digital monitoring and strengthened surveillance systems.

Key Indicators
HIV prevalence.
Annual number of new HIV infections.
AIDS-related deaths.
ART coverage.
Viral suppression rate.
HIV testing coverage.
Mother-to-child transmission rate.
Blood units screened for HIV.