Vaccination should be treated as macro-economic indicator: Economic Surve

New Delhi, Jan 31 India's vaccination programme which has shielded over 75 per cent of adult population with both doses of vaccines and 95 per cent with first shots should be treated as a macro-economic indicator, highlighted the Economic Survey on Monday.

Vaccination is not merely a health response but is critical for opening up the economy, particularly contact-intensive service. Therefore, it should be treated for now as a macro-economic indicator, said the Survey. The Economic Survey notes that Indian National Covid Vaccination programme has not only supported production of Covid vaccines domestically, but it has also ensured free vaccines to its population.

The survey reiterates that the National Health Policy, 2017 envisaged to increase Government's health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2025. In keeping with this objective, Central and State Government's Budgeted expenditure on the health sector reached 2.1 per cent of GDP in 2021-22, against 1.3 per cent in 2019-20, the Survey highlighted.

The Economic Survey mentions that although the pandemic has affected almost all social services, yet the health sector was the worst hit. Expenditure on the health sector increased from Rs 2.73 lakh crore in 2019-20 (pre-Covid -19) to Rs, 4.72 lakh crore in 2021-22 (BE), an increase of nearly 73 per cent.

The Union Budget for 2021-22 allocated Rs 35,000 crore for procurement of vaccines under the nationwide Covid-19 Vaccination Programme. From January 16, 2021 till January 16, 2022, a total of 156.76 crore doses of vaccines have been administered. Vaccination at this scale and speed has enabled swift revival of livelihoods, the Survey underscores.

The Survey further states that in addition to the National Health Mission, Union Budget 2021-22, announced Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, with an outlay of about Rs 64,180 crore in next five years to develop capacities of primary, secondary and tertiary Health Care Systems, strengthen existing national institutions, and create new institutions to cater to detection and cure of new and emerging diseases.

Besides, Union Budget 2021-22 provided an outlay of Rs 35,000 crore towards Covid-19 vaccination.

As per latest the NFHS-5, social indicators such as Total Fertility Rate (TFR), Sex Ratio and health outcome indicators viz. Infant Mortality Rate, under-Five mortality rate, institutional birth rate have improved over year 2015-16, observes the Economic Survey.

The NFHS-5 shows that not only services are reaching the public, but the intended outcomes have also improved, the Survey said.

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