India Expands Ayushman Bharat to All Citizens Above 70, Reaffirms Commitment to Healthy Ageing
SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being | SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Institutions: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare | National Health Authority
At the 78th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Colombo, India renewed its commitment to “Healthy Ageing through Strengthened Primary Health Care.” Represented by Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel, MoS for Health and Family Welfare, India highlighted a series of new measures to ensure dignified and accessible healthcare for senior citizens.
A key announcement was the expansion of the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to cover all citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of income. This reform extends cashless hospital coverage up to ₹ 5 lakh per family per year to nearly 60 million elderly persons across 45 million families, strengthening financial protection and access to both public and empanelled private hospitals.
India’s National Programme for Healthcare of the Elderly (NPHCE), now operational in 92 % of districts, anchors preventive, curative, and rehabilitative services through home, community, and facility-based care, supported by structured caregiver training. The country has also established two National Centres of Ageing (AIIMS New Delhi and Madras Medical College, Chennai) and 17 Regional Geriatric Centres to strengthen clinical excellence, policy guidance, and research【user provided text†L24-L30】.
At the regional roundtable, India called for stronger cooperation among WHO SEARO members to integrate Primary Health Care (PHC) and Long-Term Care (LTC) through three pillars: (i) a regional platform for knowledge exchange; (ii) capacity building for geriatric and caregiving workforces; and (iii) technological innovations supporting independent living.
The expansion of AB-PMJAY marks a major step toward universal financial protection for India’s ageing population, while NPHCE and new geriatric institutions strengthen the primary-care and long-term care continuum. India’s leadership under the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030) signals a shift toward ageing as an inclusive-growth opportunity, not merely a welfare obligation.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can India’s expanded elderly-care coverage under AB-PMJAY be linked with preventive, community-based and long-term-care services to create an integrated model of healthy ageing?
Follow the full release here: PIB – India Renews Commitment to Healthy Ageing at 78th WHO SEARO Session