Do We Care?

India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Yet health is not a part of our ambitious development story. In fact, India's disproportionately stingy healthcare budget makes some of the poorer nations look better in comparison. Statistics, however, speak louder than critics: we have one of the highest numbers of women dying in childbirth and under-five mortality rates. Every year nearly sixty million people get pushed below the poverty line due to the health expenditures that they incur. But there are a few bright spots too: India has eradicated polio and reversed the incidence of HIV/AIDS by an impressive margin. Drawing on her experience as the former union health secretary, K. Sujatha Rao gives us an unsparingly candid insider s view of India s health system. This richly detailed book favours increasing the health budget, greater use of technology, and providing leadership and good governance. Rao argues that unless good health is prioritized as a national goal, India s growth story will remain largely self-congratulatory.