About us
- About IGUHC
Our Commitment to Transforming Healthcare in India
With over 60 percent of healthcare expenses in India being paid out-of-pocket, a figure ranking among the highest globally, the resulting catastrophic costs annually plunge more than 60 million Indians into poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue, underscoring the critical need for robust and universal healthcare systems. Despite India’s economic growth and its status as an emerging economy, the population of poor and vulnerable individuals remains alarmingly high, particularly within the informal sector, which constitutes a significant portion of the workforce.
While there exist several social health insurance schemes at both national and state levels, their coordination remains insufficient, resulting in partial overlap and an underutilization of their full potential. The Ayushman Bharat initiative, launched in September 2018, represents a monumental reform in the healthcare sector and ranks among the most pivotal social security measures undertaken by the Indian government. At its core, the national health insurance/assurance component, known as Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), provides coverage to over 500 million families across India. This places AB PM-JAY as the world’s largest fully government-funded health insurance/assurance scheme. Each family is entitled to access inpatient healthcare services in both empanelled public and private hospitals, with coverage extending up to INR 500,000 (approximately EUR 6,300) annually.
The Ayushman Bharat reform initiative also encompasses the establishment of 150,000 Health and Wellness Centres, designed to deliver primary healthcare, and facilitate referrals for secondary or tertiary care in the long run. This underscores the Indian government’s resolute commitment to advancing comprehensive health insurance and providing essential healthcare services to economically and socially disadvantaged families across the nation.
Our Approach
Indo-German Programme on Universal Health Coverage (IGUHC) aims to improve the conditions for achieving Universal Health Coverage in India by strengthening the implementation of the PM-JAY, in terms of quality, scope and availability of health services .
Our Misson
Our mission is to contribute significantly to the advancement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in India. We focus on enhancing the overall quality, expanding the scope, and increasing the availability of healthcare services. By working tirelessly to improve healthcare conditions, we aim to make quality healthcare accessible and affordable for all, thereby bringing us closer to the realization of UHC.
