Former WHO Chief Scientist and Chairperson of the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, has urged the government to significantly raise India’s public health allocation in the Union Budget 2026, calling for stronger investment in primary healthcare, digital health infrastructure and prevention-led public health programmes.

In an interaction with PTI, Dr Soumya said the Centre’s focus on Ayushman Bharat and universal health coverage is a positive step, but India’s overall health expenditure remains below the benchmarks set under the National Health Policy. The policy recommends health spending at 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2025, while current public expenditure remains close to 2 per cent.

In the Union Budget 2025–26, the government allocated nearly Rs 1 lakh crore (around USD 11.5 billion) to the health sector, reflecting an approximately 10–11 per cent increase over the previous year. However, public health spending continues to hover around 1.9–2 per cent of GDP, still short of the 2.5 per cent target.

Dr Soumya emphasised that increasing financial allocation is not enough unless a larger share is directed towards strengthening primary healthcare. Highlighting the role of Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs or Health and Wellness Centres, she said these facilities now form a critical backbone of community-level healthcare delivery, but require further expansion, enhanced training for mid-level health providers, and sustained institutional support.

She also called for accelerated adoption of digital health technologies, including artificial intelligence and integrated digital platforms. The next phase of the National Digital Health Mission, she said, must ensure universal ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) coverage and interoperable digital health records, enabling telemedicine access and seamless treatment across locations.

With India’s disease burden rising, Dr Soumya said long-term investment in primary healthcare would ease pressure on hospitals and reduce healthcare costs over time. She stressed the need for a prevention-focused approach addressing safe drinking water, air quality, food safety, nutrition, housing, mental health, and broader determinants of well-being.

Health, she said, must be viewed not only in physical terms but also through mental, cognitive and social well-being. Increased public health investment, she added, is essential to building a resilient, equitable and sustainable healthcare system.

Dr Soumya said the Union Budget 2026 offers a crucial opportunity for the government to scale up spending, reinforce preventive care, expand primary health systems and strengthen India’s digital health ecosystem to advance universal and quality healthcare delivery.

PTI