District Health Action Plan - STATE HEALTH SOCIETY-----BIHAR

National Rural Health Mission
Preamble
Recognizing the importance of Health in the process of economic and social development
and improving the quality of life of our citizens, the Government of India has resolved to launch
the National Rural Health Mission to carry out necessary architectural correction in the basic
health care delivery system. The Mission adopts a synergistic approach by relating health
to determinants of good health viz. segments of nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and safe
drinking water. It also aims at mainstreaming the Indian systems of medicine to facilitate
health care. The Plan of Action includes increasing public expenditure on health, reducing
regional imbalance in health infrastructure, pooling resources, integration of
organizational structures, optimization of health manpower, decentralization and district
management of health programmes, community participation and ownership of assets,
induction of management and financial personnel into district health system, and
operationalizing community health centers into functional hospitals
meeting Indian Public Health Standards in each Block of the Country.
Introduction
The National Rural Health Mission launched for the period of seven years (2005-12), aims at
providing integrated comprehensive primary health care services, especially to the poor and
vulnerable sections of the society. NRHM is projected to operate as an omnibus broadband
programme by integrating all vertical health programmes of the Department of Health and
Family Welfare including Reproductive and Child Health Programme-II, National Vector
Borne Disease Control Programme, Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme,
National Blindness Control Programme and National Leprosy Eradication Programme. The
Mission envisions effective integration of health concerns, with determinants of health like
hygiene, sanitation, nutrition and safe drinking water through decentralized management at
district level. In order to make NRHM fully accountable and responsive, the need for
formulation of a “District Health Action Plan” DHAP 2012-13 has been recognized. The
DHAP intends to provide a guideline to develop a viable public health delivery system
through intensive monitoring and ensuring performance standards. It reflects the convergence
of different aspects of health like potable water, sanitation, women and child development
and school level education.
As a first step towards planning process, identification of performance gaps was attempted by
carrying out a situational analysis. The formulation of the DHAP envisages a participatory
approach at various levels. To make the plan more practicable and to ensure that grass root
issues are voiced and heard, the initial stages of process of plan development included
consultations at village and block levels. As NRHM emphasizes community participation
and need-based service delivery with improved outreach to disadvantaged communities,
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