A Lancet Commission report has outlined a roadmap for developing a rights-based, citizen-centred universal healthcare system in India, focusing on improved financing mechanisms, regulation and community engagement to ensure accessible, equitable and high-quality care.
The report aligns with India’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 and emphasises transparency, equity and public participation as central to Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which aims to provide affordable and quality healthcare for all citizens.
Prepared by an international group of experts, including contributors from Harvard Medical School and the Population Foundation of India, the report highlights the need to strengthen the public healthcare system. It recommends better integration of services across primary, secondary and tertiary care, increased public investment in health, and greater use of digital technologies.
The authors note that citizen involvement in planning, delivery and oversight of health services can improve system responsiveness and equity. They also call for healthcare reforms based on decentralisation, collaboration among multiple stakeholders and continuous learning to address India’s demographic and regional diversity.
The report adds that health system improvements require sustained political commitment and leadership to ensure accountability, beyond technical interventions alone.
Established in December 2020, the Lancet Commission on a citizen-centred health system for India drew on a broad range of expertise and research to develop its recommendations. It concludes by calling for an integrated healthcare delivery system that is primarily publicly financed and provided, while also shaping the role of the private sector to support universal health coverage goals.
