Priority / Thrust Areas

Introduction

The health of a Nation can best be judged by the health status of its people. General mortality, infant mortality and life expectancy at birth are considered as primary determinant in improving the health status. The development of health is a holistic process related to the over all growth and development of social, cultural, economic, educational, political and environmental factors. Health also depends on many supporting services such as water supply, sanitation, nutrition, public health and medical services and human resource development. Health policies are directly and indirectly influenced by the policies to these areas. Political forces/ideology play a major role in determining the health policies of a state through decisions on resource allocations, manpower policies, choice of technology and degree to which health services are to be made available and accessible to the population.

Similarly, health is considered as a function not only of medical intervention but also over all integrated development of a society. The value system, its philosophical and culture traditions and its social, political and economic organisations are increasingly related to the health of a society. The objectives of integrated development are to eliminate hunger and poverty, to spread education and enable poor, under privileged and particularly women and children to assert themselves.

Development be it health or economy or social , it can not be seen in isolation. A group of factors, which become active positively to a particular situation, it takes the shape of development. These factors are either inter-dependant or independent in its nature. At times individual factor held responsible to a particular situation that gives negative result in spite of good numbers of positive factors. It is evident from the fact that when the health situation of Orissa is analyzed with a closer looks. After almost half a decade of socialistic planning though substantial results have been achieved in terms of aggregate economic growth, at the same time these had admittedly been a relative, if unintended, neglect of social and human development as evident from evidence of emphasis on material resources and services infrastructure. Most specifically the health situation of the state remains unrelentingly depressing irrespective of organised activities and efforts.

Similarly, Orissa is abundantly rich in mineral and natural resources. It’s cultural and social status are quite advanced. The people though diverse in caste, creed and religion enjoy a common principle of peaceful living in comparison to other states. It is increasingly ironic that in spite of development planning and fair utilization of both available human and material resources the pace of progress is somewhat not encouraging as desired. The vital statistics, which are the basic yardsticks of measuring health, only except a few, present a sordid picture of our development. Though we are in better position statistically in some of the National average, rate and ratio, however, the basic indicators of health, viz, infant mortality and maternal mortality remain high and Orissa occupies a dubious distinction in the health scenario of the country. In spite of our sincere and concerted attempt we do fail to yield the optimum result.

However, OVHA with its past experience, present endeavours and future anticipation/projection to achieve its long cherished goal “Making Community Health a Reality for the People Orissa” comes out with a series of activities that could be beneficial in giving proper shape to the health status of people of Orissa. Some of the issues, if dealt in properly may contribute a tangible result in its achievement.