The Karnataka government is expected to announce the much-delayed integrated health policy aimed at achieving equity, quality and integrity in health and healthcare in a month's time. The focus of the integrated health policy would be 'better health for all.'

The policy, which was to be out last month, received a setback with the winding up of the task force on health and family welfare, which advocated the need for an integrated health policy.

Based on the draft of the Karnataka Integrated Health policy drawn up by the task force on health and family welfare, headed by Dr. H Sudarshan, the new health policy will have a strong emphasis on the process and implementation of health services and serve as an instrument for optimal, people-oriented development of health services.

A high-level committee set-up for this purpose has completed several rounds of discussions with officials of the department of health and family welfare, officers of other government departments, NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and the public "The policy is now finalised after the additions and deletions recommended by the officials and is expected to be announced within a month," Kagodu Thimmappa, Karnataka minister for health and family welfare told Pharmabiz.com.

The final report of the task force on health care in the State highlighted the need for a health policy. It has covered most of the health care issues in the State. The draft of the policy has not only dealt with the components of the health policy but also areas such as medical and public health ethics and policy process and implementation.

Following the suggestions made in the draft of the health policy, the government set-up a high level committee to make a detailed study of the recommendations of the task force. It has already accepted 64 of them and they are in various stages of implementation.

The state government, through the new policy would also play a facilitating role in harnessing resources and from the private and voluntary sectors to provide equity, quality and integrity in health and healthcare in Karnataka, he informed.

The State has so far evolved policy guidelines through the framework of the five-year plans, decisions of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare, Central Health Legislation and national health programmes. There had been separate policies at the national level developed for health in 1983, education and health in 1989, nutrition in 1993, drug policy 1988 and 1994, Medical Council of India guidelines in 1997, health for elderly in 1998 and population in 2000. Health being a state subject, the need for a separate health policy for Karnataka was felt in 2000-2001, he said.

The health minister lauded the efforts of the task force in evolving a comprehensive draft policy and said the government would sincerely attempt to implement the recommendations of the task force.

Referring to the recommendations, made by the task force regarding steps to control AIDS, the health minister said the government had already initiated several proactive steps to create public awareness on the rapidly growing HIV/AIDS problem.

A major step in this direction was the setting up of the district-level voluntary counselling and testing centres (VCTCs). This is now extended to the taluks and to the primary health centres (PHCs) with facilities to provide treatment to reduce mother-to child transmissions of HIV, added the health minister.