A Critical Assessment of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) for Rural Health Security in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

India has registered significant progress in improving health condition of the people over the last few decades. In spite
of the progress made, a high proportion of the population, especially in rural areas, continues to suffer and die from
preventable diseases, pregnancy and child birth related complications as well as malnutrition. National Rural Health
Mission (NRHM) has launched in 2005 to improve the health system and the health status of the rural people.
However, studies have revealed that the lack of awareness about this programme, depriving the potential benefits to
the people. So the present study entitled “National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) for rural health security: a critical
assessment” was undertaken to assess the programme effectiveness in terms of peoples' awareness, participation,
satisfaction and constraints faced by them in harnessing the benefits from the programmes. The study was conducted
in Kashi Vidyapeeth block of Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh. The findings of the study revealed that 66.67% of
respondents has medium level of awareness and 55.83 per cent of the respondents had expressed their satisfaction
about the services rendered by NRHM.