Question

What measures have been taken to increase the life expectancy of people in India?

Answer 1

Life expectancy in India has more than doubled in the last sixty years. It increased from around 30 years at the time of independence to over 63.5 years in 2002-06. The reasons are as follows:

• Large number of medical and paramedical staff has been taken on contract to augment the human resources.
• Mobile Medical Units increased to 363 districts in 2009-10 from 310 in 2008-09 to provide diagnostic and outpatient care closer to hamlets and villages in remote areas
• The Reproductive and Child Health Programme and National Disease Control Programmes introduced
• Government health care services are organised at different levels. Primary health care is provided through a network of over 146,036 health sub-centres, 23,458 PHCs and 4,276 CHCs