NEW DELHI, Aug 24: India continues to face a significant healthcare spending gap compared with wealthy nations, with new analysis of World Health Organization data showing a sharp difference in per-person health expenditure.
According to data analysed by Our World in Data, high-income countries spent about USD 7,300 per person on healthcare, compared with approximately USD 346 in India. The figures highlight the wide disparity in resources available for healthcare delivery across different income groups.
The difference has implications for access to medical services, availability of healthcare infrastructure and the ability of health systems to respond to growing demand.
India has expanded its healthcare infrastructure and public health programmes over the years, but the relatively low level of spending per person remains a challenge, particularly as the country faces a growing burden of chronic diseases.
Growing demand puts health systems under pressure
Healthcare requirements are changing rapidly as India’s population ages and non-communicable diseases become increasingly important.
Conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer and kidney disorders require long-term treatment, regular monitoring and sustained investment in medical facilities and personnel.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently stressed that preventive healthcare should be treated as a matter linked to both national economic strength and security. He argued that healthcare policy should place greater emphasis on preventing illness and identifying health risks early.
Need for stronger preventive care
Experts and policymakers have increasingly called for a shift from treating diseases after they develop towards prevention, early diagnosis and risk management.
Greater investment could help strengthen primary healthcare, expand screening programmes and improve access to essential medicines and specialised treatment.
The spending disparity also underlines the importance of ensuring that additional healthcare resources reach underserved communities and regions where access to quality medical services remains limited.
As India seeks to improve health outcomes, increasing investment while using existing resources efficiently could become an important part of the country’s long-term healthcare strategy.