term

VHSNC

Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Committee

ICDS

Integrated Child Development Services

It is a Government of India programme started in 1975 to improve the health, nutrition, and development of children below 6 years, and also support pregnant and lactating women.

ANM

ANM = Auxiliary Nurse Midwife

An ANM is a frontline female health worker who provides maternal, newborn, child health, family planning, immunization, and basic preventive healthcare at the community level.

VHND

Village Health and Nutrition Day

Think of VHND as a “health camp day” held regularly in the village, usually at the Anganwadi Centre.

It is a platform where health, nutrition and maternal-child health services are brought closer to the community.

IDSP

Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme

Think of IDSP as India’s disease “early-warning system.” 🚨

Its main purpose is to detect disease outbreaks early and take timely action to control them.

Asha

ASHA = Accredited Social Health Activist

ASHA is a trained female community health worker who acts as a link between the community and the health system.

It was introduced under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

AYUSH

• A → Ayurveda

• Y → Yoga & Naturopathy

• U → Unani

• S → Siddha

• H → Homoeopathy

EAG

Empowered Action Group.

These are a group of 8 states in India that historically had poorer health and demographic indicators, such as:

• High IMR

• High MMR

• High fertility rate

• Lower healthcare access

• Higher population growth

The EAG states are:

Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Rajasthan.

CoE

Centre of Excellence (CoE)

A Centre of Excellence is a specialized institution that provides high-quality, specialized healthcare, training, research, and technical support in a particular field.

( vision 2020)

CME

Continuing Medical Education

It means educational activities undertaken by doctors after graduation to update and improve their knowledge, skills, and clinical practice.

Examples:

• Conferences

• Workshops

• Seminars

• Case discussions

• Online medical courses

• Lectures by experts

BCC

Behaviour Change Communication

It is a communication approach used to bring about positive changes in people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to health.

NVBDCP

National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme

It is an Indian national programme for prevention and control of diseases transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes and sandflies.

Diseases covered

Remember “M-M-F-J-K”:

• Malaria

• Mosquito-borne filariasis (lymphatic filariasis)

• Filariasis

• Japanese encephalitis (JE)

• Kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis)

• Dengue and Chikungunya are also covered.

ITN

Insecticide-Treated Net.

LLIN

Long-Lasting Insecticidal Net

It is a mosquito net whose fibres are treated/incorporated with insecticide, so it provides protection against mosquitoes for a long period.

IRS

Indoor Residual Spraying

It is a vector-control method in which insecticide is sprayed on the inside walls and other resting surfaces of houses.

IEC

Information, Education and Communication

In Community Medicine, IEC is the process of providing health information and education to people through communication methods to improve their health-related knowledge and practices.

TMAP

Tribal Malaria Action Plan

It is a special malaria-control plan for tribal populations, particularly in tribal and forested areas where malaria transmission is high.

NGO

Non-Governmental Organization

An NGO is a non-profit organization that works independently of the government, often to address social, health, educational, environmental, or humanitarian needs.

Voluntary agencies

organizations in which people voluntarily come together and work for the welfare of society, usually on a non-profit basis.

IVM

Integrated Vector Management.

What is IVM?

It means controlling disease vectors (mosquitoes, flies, etc.) by using several appropriate methods together, rather than depending on only one method.

EDCT

Early Diagnosis and Complete Treatment.

What does it mean?

• Early diagnosis → identify malaria as soon as possible, usually by testing a person with suspected malaria.

• Complete treatment → give the full recommended antimalarial treatment according to the species and guidelines, and ensure the patient completes it.

RDT

Rapid Diagnostic Test.

What is it?

A quick test to detect malaria infection, usually by detecting malarial antigens in a drop of blood.

DOT

Directly Observed Treatment.

It means a health worker or trained person watches the patient take the prescribed medicine, rather than simply giving the medicines and asking the patient to take them at home.

DMC

Designated Microscopy Centre.

It is a health facility where sputum samples are examined by microscopy to diagnose tuberculosis.

IRL

Intermediate Reference Laboratory.

It is a higher-level TB laboratory that supports and supervises lower-level laboratories.

NRL

National Reference Laboratory

It is the highest-level reference laboratory for TB diagnosis and laboratory quality assurance at the national level.

CBNAAT

Cartridge-Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test

It is a rapid molecular test for tuberculosis.

What does it detect?

It detects:

1. TB bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex)
2. Rifampicin resistance

NDMA

National Disaster Management Authority

It is the apex statutory body in India for disaster management, established under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

SDMA

State Disaster Management Authority

It is the state-level authority responsible for disaster management in a state.

ESI

Employees’ State Insurance

ESI is a social security and health insurance scheme for workers and their families, providing medical care and financial benefits during sickness, maternity, employment injury, etc.

1948

CGHS

Central Government Health Scheme

CGHS provides comprehensive medical care to Central Government employees, pensioners and their dependants.

• Started: 1954

LPA

Line Probe Assay

It is a rapid molecular test used to detect TB and, importantly, drug resistance.

DST

Drug Susceptibility Testing

It is a test that determines which anti-TB drugs the TB bacteria are sensitive or resistant to.

NSP

National Strategic Plan→ for TB control/elimination in India, focusing on drug-resistant TB management, integrated diagnosis, decentralization of services, and patient-centred care.

TDF

Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate.

PPTCT

Prevention of Parent-to-Child Transmission of HIV.

3TC

Lamivudine.

It is an NRTI (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor) used in combination ART.

EFV

Efavirenz.

It is an NNRTI (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor) used in combination ART.

CPT

Cotrimoxazole Preventive Therapy.

It is given to people living with HIV to prevent opportunistic infections, especially Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and toxoplasmosis.

EID

Early Infant Diagnosis.

It means early testing of HIV-exposed infants to detect HIV infection as soon as possible, so treatment can be started early if the baby is infected.

FSW

MSM

IDU

• FSW = Female Sex Workers → women who engage in sex work.

• MSM = Men who have Sex with Men → men who have sexual contact with other men.

• IDU = Injecting Drug Users → people who inject drugs, with risk particularly from sharing contaminated needles/syringes.

JSY

Janani suraksha yojana

It is a safe-motherhood scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM) that promotes institutional delivery by providing cash assistance to eligible pregnant women.

JSY launch

12 the april 2005

HDI

Human Development Index

It is a composite index used to measure the level of human development of a country, developed by the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme).

PQLI

Physical Quality of Life Index

It is an index used to measure the quality of life of a population, using basic physical health indicators.

It has 3 components:

1. Infant mortality rate (IMR) — lower IMR = better

2. Life expectancy at age 1 year — higher = better

3. Literacy rate — higher = better

GNI

Gross National Income

It is the total income earned by the residents of a country, including income earned from abroad.

NMHP

National mental health programme

1982

DMHP

District Mental Health Programme

It is a programme under the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) that provides mental health services at the district level.

ICDS

Integrated Child Development Services

ICDS is a Government of India programme started in 1975 to improve the health, nutrition and development of children below 6 years, along with support for pregnant and lactating women.

IMNCI

Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness

IMNCI is an Indian adaptation of the WHO/UNICEF IMCI strategy for reducing neonatal and childhood morbidity and mortality.

UIP

EIP

Universal Immunization Programme

UIP is India’s national immunization programme that provides free vaccination to children and pregnant women.

Expanded Programme on Immunization

EPI was launched by WHO in 1974 to make basic childhood vaccines available worldwide.

EPI = WHO, 1974, global programme
UIP = India, 1985, national programme

HWC

Health and Wellness Centre

HWC is a primary healthcare facility under Ayushman Bharat, designed to provide comprehensive primary health care close to the community.

2018

AWW

Anganwadi Worker

An Anganwadi Worker (AWW) is the frontline worker at an Anganwadi Centre under the ICDS programme.

ANM

Auxiliary Nurse Midwife

ANM is a frontline female health worker who provides maternal, child and basic community health services, mainly at the Sub-centre/Health & Wellness Centre.

IFA

Iron and Folic Acid

IFA tablets contain iron + folic acid and are given to prevent and treat iron-deficiency anaemia.

UHC

Universal Health Coverage

UHC means that all people can access the health services they need, without suffering financial hardship.

PRI

Panchayati Raj Institutions

PRI are local self-government institutions in rural areas that enable people to participate in local development and governance.

VHSC

Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee

LHV

Lady Health Visitor

An LHV is a supervisory health worker who supervises and supports ANMs and other female health workers, especially in maternal and child health services.

Dai

Dai means a traditional birth attendant (TBA) who assists women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, especially in rural areas.

MDA

Mass Drug Administration

MDA means giving a specific medicine to the entire eligible population of a community, irrespective of whether each person has the disease or not.

GNP

Gross National Product

GNP is the total value of all final goods and services produced by the citizens/residents of a country in one year, including income earned from abroad.

VHND

Village Health and Nutrition Day

VHND is a monthly community-level health and nutrition session held at the Anganwadi Centre to provide essential maternal and child health services.

HFA

Health for All

HFA means ensuring that all people have access to a level of health that allows them to lead socially and economically productive lives.

• Associated with the Alma-Ata Declaration (1978)

• Target: “Health for All by the year 2000”

API

ABER

SPR

AFI

SFR

1. API — Annual Parasite Incidence

Number of confirmed malaria cases per 1,000 population per year.

Formula:
API = Confirmed malaria cases × 1000 / Total population

2. ABER — Annual Blood Examination Rate

Percentage of the population whose blood is examined for malaria in one year.

Formula:
ABER = Number of blood smears examined × 100 / Total population

👉 Shows the extent of malaria surveillance.

3. SPR — Slide Positivity Rate

Percentage of examined blood smears that are positive for malaria parasites.

Formula:
SPR = Number of positive blood smears × 100 / Number of blood smears examined

4. AFI — Annual Falciparum Incidence

Number of confirmed P. falciparum malaria cases per 1,000 population per year.

Formula:
AFI = Confirmed P. falciparum cases × 1000 / Total population

5. SFR — Slide Falciparum Rate

Percentage of examined blood smears that are positive for P. falciparum.

Formula:
SFR = Number of P. falciparum-positive smears × 100 / Number of blood smears examined

NVBDCP

National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme

NVBDCP was India’s programme for prevention and control of vector-borne diseases.

NCVBDC

National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control

NCVBDC is the national nodal centre under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for prevention and control of vector-borne diseases in India.