UN Concerned Over Health Care for Below Poverty Line Families in India
by The Daily Eye Team May 10 2014, 10:21 am Estimated Reading Time: 0 mins, 43 secsA top United Nations official today expressed concerns over the health care of families who fall below the poverty line in India. “Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a high priority in India. We are particularly worried about families who fall below the poverty line, when someone falls ill and the family has to struggle to pay for health care,” Lise Grande, United Nations Resident Coordinator, said at a UN-backed discussion which deliberated on India’s route to UHC. Nata Menabde, WHO Representative to India, highlighted the importance of substantially increasing the government expenditure on health in India which is one of the lowest in the world, at around one percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). She commended the policy intent outlined by the Planning Commission to increase government spending on health to 1.87 percent of the GDP by 2017.