Govt aims to increase health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP by 2025

The Union Health Ministry has pushed for an increased expenditure on public health. In a meeting with the 15th Finance Commission, the Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, yesterday highlighted that the government aims at gradually increasing the public health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the nation's GDP by the year 2025.

 

The Minister asserted that the outlay for primary health expenditure will also be made nearly two third of the total public health expenditure in the country. Reiterating the government's target of the National Health Policy 2017, Dr. Vardhan emphasized on the importance of increasing the state’s



health sector spending to nearly 8 per cent of their total budget.

 

The Health Ministry apprised the Finance Commission of the need to further strengthen the public health sector, surveillance and public health management, preventive and promotive health care system in the country. 

The Health Ministry has also revised its requirement of around 4.9 lakh crores to 6.04 lakh crores in view of the COVID pandemic. It has asked for additional resources for the States which would be utilized for achievement of the National Health Policy targets.