Life of individual is a gift to whole mankind, which is to be preserved, protected and prospered. Right to life as a natural, fundamental and human right has become an integral part of every positive legal order in the world. Right to Life is, in fact, dependent upon the health of an individual. In other words, right to health is a prerequisite of the Right to Life and to live with human dignity. Universal achievement of ‘Health for all’ has gained importance among nations of the world, as health is declared to be an essential part of right to life. Health is a critical investment for human resource development and poverty alleviation in India. Public policy for health has been based on an implicit assumption of health care as a basic right which people should not be denied access to as they are not able to pay. Yet, the resources provided by the Government to achieve better health status through the provision of high priority primary health care services for the vast majority of Indians has been inadequate. This paper aims at critically analysing the National Health Policy, 2017 highlighting the historical background behind its formulation under the light of previous policies and plans. The paper also discusses the fruitfulness of the NHP, 2017 and its impact on pregnant health.

Keywords: Health, National Health Policy, Health care system, Pregnant women, India.​

DOI: http://doi.one/10.1732/IJLMH.25701