IDPD Demands increase in the budget on health from 1.35% to 3 % of the GDP

Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD

Date: 10.07.2024

Press Note

In an email to the Finance Minister, Govt. of India the Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) has demanded to increase the allocation to health to at least 3% of the GDP in the upcoming budget. Dr Arun Mitra – President IDPD said that India’s current public health expenditure is merely 1.35% of its GDP, which is among the lowest in the world. It has led to high out of pocket expenditure for a vast population.

According to a March 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) report, more than 17% of Indian households experience catastrophic health expenditures each year, which can push people into poverty. Catastrophic health spending is defined as out-of-pocket (OOP) payments that exceed a certain percentage of a household’s resources for healthcare. The report estimates that high OOP health expenditures impoverish around 55 million Indians annually.

Dr Shakeel Ur Rahman – General Secretary pointed out that India faces significant healthcare challenges, including a high burden of infectious diseases, a growing non-communicable disease epidemic, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure. The on-going pandemic has further exposed the vulnerabilities of our healthcare system.

Increasing the health budget to 3% of GDP would enable:

• Strengthening public health infrastructure

• Improving access to quality healthcare, especially for vulnerable populations

• Scaling up health programs and schemes

• Enhancing health research and development

We urge the Finance Minister to prioritize healthcare in the upcoming budget and allocate at least 3% of GDP to strengthen India’s healthcare system.

Dr Arun Mitra, President IDPD
Dr Shakeel Ur Rahman, General Secretary IDPD