What is the present status of National Programme for Prevention and Management of Burn Injuries (NPPMBI)?

  National Programme for Prevention and Management of Burn Injuries (NPPMBI)

National Programme for Prevention and Management of Burn Injuries

National Programme for Prevention & Management of Burn Injuries (NPPMBI)

“Burn” is a major Public Health Problem all over the world. As per WHO report 2014, in India, over 1,000,000 people are moderately or severely burnt every year. As per the data extrapolated from the information received from 3 major Govt. Hospitals in Delhi, approx. 1.4 lakh people die of burn injuries annually. This comes to one death every 4 minutes due to burns. Moreover, unlike other injuries, Burn Injury is accompanied by trauma, scars and disfigurement, which takes years to heal both physically and psychologically. Many of the burn injury patients require psychological counseling as well as physiotherapeutic rehabilitation and repeated plastic surgeries for many years, thus, augmenting their financial hardship.

 However, the death and disability due to burn injury are preventable to a great extent if timely and appropriate treatment is provided by trained personnel. Unfortunately, most of the burn victims belongs to vulnerable group of the society, who fail to receive appropriate treatment as, in most part of India, there is no availability of treatment facilities which provide specific treatment for burn injuries.

Under such circumstances, and keeping in view the rising number of deaths due to burn injuries, a project was initiated during the 11th Five Year Plan by the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, for development of burn units in identified Medical Colleges and District Hospitals. The project is now being continued as a full-fledged National Programme in the name of ͞”NationalProgramme for Prevention & Management of Burn Injuries (NPPMBI)͟”during the 12th Five Year Plan.

Objectives of the programme

• To reduce incidence, mortality, morbidity and disability due to Burn Injuries.
• To improve the awareness among the general masses and vulnerable groups especially the women, children, industrial and hazardous occupational workers.
• To establish adequate network of infrastructural facilities along with trained personnel for burn management and rehabilitation.
• To carry out research for assessing behavioral, social and other determinants of Burn Injuries in our country for effective need based program planning for Burn Injuries, monitoring and subsequent evaluation.