New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) The Union Budget lays the framework to expand the allied health workforce, strengthen infrastructure and elevate Ayush on the global stage, the government said on Monday.

The recent budget raised allocations for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by 10 per cent from 2025-26 to over Rs. 1,06,530 crore, and initiatives span global AYUSH integration, NIMHANS-2 establishment in North India etc, an official statement said.

The allocation for the ministry also marks a 194 per cent rise over 12 years, while The Department of Health Research has been allocated Rs 4,821.21 crore. This rising government expenditure demonstrates strong commitment toward universal healthcare and medical research innovation, the statement noted.

The government highlighted 100 per cent customs duty exemption on 17 new cancer drugs adding that the budget targets training 1 lakh allied health professionals and 1.5 lakh caregivers over the next five years.

Further, Budget proposed establishing three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda to meet growing global demand and upgrade the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar.

The initiatives for AYUSH sector aim to strengthen education, clinical training, and research capacity for both domestic healthcare delivery and international engagement, while raising regulatory standards and certification ecosystems to position Indian AYUSH products in global markets that demand scientifically validated solutions.

Funding for Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri‑Jan Arogya Yojana has been rising, with the scheme providing up to Rs. 5 lakh annually per eligible household and covering over 12 crore vulnerable families.

"While the nation has achieved significant progress in tackling maternal and child health and increasing life expectancy from 49.7 years in 1973 to 70.3 years in 2023, it now faces a rising health challenge: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and cancers," the statement noted.

NCDs accounted for 57 per cent of deaths in the country in 2021-23. To counter this, the government runs the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases to systematically identify high-risk individuals and link them to appropriate care and treatment.

—IANS

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