ndian government officials say the country’s public health infrastructure is sorely deficient, but they argue it is improving because of several initiatives underway. They acknowledge the government has spent too little–around 1% of gross domestic product–on public health. But they say India will likely double that proportion to at least 2% in the five-year plan beginning in 2012. “Now you will see more improvements,” said Anuradha Gupta, joint secretary of reproductive and child health at the National Rural Health Mission, a division of the Indian health ministry. But, she added in an interview: “There is still a very long road to cover.” The poor state of public health, outlined in an exhaustive government report in 2005, led to the creation of the National Rural Health Mission, which is charged with improving healthcare in rural India, where the majority of the 1.2 billion people still reside. That health mission has spear-headed several grassroots programs to improve primary healthcare, and India’s high rates of maternal mortality and infant mortality have declined in recent years. Still, these rates remain far higher than many other emerging economies. For more information visit: http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2011/07/30/indias-public-health-crisis-the-government-responds/