Public health budget up by Rs.1,253 crore

New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) India's public health budget has gone up by Rs.1,253 crore, with special focus on AIDS control and mental health programmes and the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Of the total Rs.22,300 crore (Rs.223 billion/$4.82 billion) health budget, about Rs. 3,181 crore has been earmarked for various schemes to benefit the health of the people - up from Rs.1,928 in 2009-10.

However, the allocation for providing medical relief to people uprooted by natural disasters saw a decrease of Rs.149 crore. The amount has dipped to Rs.96 crore from about Rs.245 crore in 2009-10.

India's AIDS control programmes saw an increased allotment of Rs.403 crore - up from Rs.888.15 crore to Rs.1,291 crore this fiscal.

The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) is the apex body to prevent, curb and educate people about the disease and carries out prevention programmes. India is home to 2.5 million HIV/AIDS patients, including over 70,000 children below the age of 14.

With nearly two percent Indians in need of medical attention in the area of mental health, the government has increased the amount for the National Mental Health Programme with Rs.103 crore - up from Rs.50 crore - an increase of Rs.53 crore.

With India being called the diabetes capital of the world and more and more young people suffering from heart disease, the budget focus is also on the national programme for the prevention and control of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The programme has got Rs.90 crore - an increase of Rs.73 crore from the previous budget.

The budget has also hiked the allocation for manufacturing vaccines with the government speeding up efforts to produce a vaccine to combat the contagious swine flu virus, which has killed 1,366 people and affected 29,599 in the
country so far.

The amount to manufacture vaccines has gone up from Rs.31.65 crore to Rs.35.52 crore.