Did govt withhold Gujarat immunisation data to avoid embarrassment to PM Modi?

The last time a comprehensive study was published on nutrition or health in India, it was back in 2007. Another study was done in 2013 and 2014 by Unicef, the UN agency for children, in collaboration with the Indian government. But the results of the study, which were to be published in October 2014, never saw light of day. At least, not in their entirety. [caption id=“attachment_2303174” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  PM Narendra Modi. AP[/caption] A limited set of data on immunisation was published that month by the ministry of health. It included many of the large and well-to-do states, but curiously, excluded Gujarat. The UN authorities claimed that the government withheld the data citing that they needed to verify it. However, a report published by The Economist reveals the statistics for the missing states and raises some serious questions regarding Gujarat and if the data was withheld to save embarrassment to the PM. The data shows that Gujarat, where Modi was Chief Minister for twelve years before becoming the Prime Minister of the country and commended it as a ‘model’ state for the rest of the country, has significantly lost on its progress under his leadership. In 2001, after he took the office, 54 percent of children were being fully immunised against preventable diseases—well above the national average of 46%. But by 2014, the state which was well above the national average, fell well below it. When Modi left to become Prime Minister, there was only a tiny improvement, to 56.2%, against the now national average of 65%. The state was behind Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, generally measured as less developed and wealthy. This is even more worrisome considering the fact that Gujarat is one of the most wealthy states in the counter. The Economist report suggests that the only cause that can be attributed to such a fall in numbers in health statistics is government negligence and to preserve the Prime Minister’s image of having brought about radical changes in Gujarat while he was in charge. Why this is distressing is because of worries that the Prime Minister may be turning a blind eye to health indicators while at the Centre as well.  The central government has already cut heavily on the health budget since becoming the Prime Minister. The government has ordered a cut of nearly 20 per cent in its 2014/15 healthcare budget due to fiscal strains, in a country whose public spending on health is already among the lowest in the world, reports the Financial Express. The decision led to sharp criticism from within his own cabinet. In March, Modi has asked for a drastic cutback of an ambitious health care plan after cost estimates came in at $18.5 billion over five years, delaying a promise made in his election manifesto. Read the full reports by The Economist here and here.