3 minutes of readingBombayFebruary 8, 2026 07:24 pm IST
The Union Budget 2026-27 has increased the allocation for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by 10% to Rs 1,06,530.42 crore, but women’s organizations say the increase masks the continued neglect of women’s health and well-being.
The All India Democratic Women’s Association said that budget failed to address persistent concerns flagged by official data, including rising anemia among women, high child malnutrition, and uneven progress in reducing maternal deaths.
Data from the National Family Health Survey shows that anemia among women ages 15 to 49 increased to 57% in 2019 21 from 53% in the previous survey. Child nutrition indicators remain poor: 35.5% of children under five are stunted, 19.3% are wasted and 32.1% are underweight.
India’s maternal mortality rate stands at 97 per 100,000 live births according to the Sample Registration System for 2019 21, down from 130 in 2014-16, but progress has slowed. States like Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra continue to record significantly higher proportions. Maharashtra, despite having relatively better resources, still records hundreds of maternal deaths every year.
“Primary health care services have been marginalized. Reducing prices of cancer and diabetes drugs does not address the everyday health burdens of women,” said PK Srimati, national president of AIDWA.
He budget prioritizes infrastructure and research with sharp increases for the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, which has been increased by almost 68% to Rs 4,770 crore and Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana to Rs 11,307 crore for new AIIMS and upgrades of medical colleges.
Funding for the National AIDS Control Organization has increased by 30% to Rs 3,477 crore, while the Department of Health Research has been allocated Rs 4,821 crore. A Rs 10,000 crore biopharmaceutical strategy over five years has also been announced.
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However, plans directly related to maternal health and nutrition remain unchanged. The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana remains at Rs 2,500 crore, while the Janani Suraksha Yojana remains at Rs 1,600 crore despite supporting nearly 90 lakh institutional deliveries last year. The National Health Mission has been allocated Rs 37 billion without any significant increase and the ICDS Supplementary Nutrition Program remains capped at Rs 20 billion.
“ICDS and ASHA workers who form the backbone of rural health services have been ignored once again. ASHAs still earn between Rs 4,500 and Rs 6,000 a month, while anganwadi workers earn around Rs 7,500 unchanged despite inflation,” said Rekha Deshpande, AIDWA representative. Bombay secretary.
The gender budget for 2026 27 amounts to Rs 5,00,878 crore, taking its share of total expenditure to 9.37%. However, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has been allocated Rs 28,183 crore, less than 0.05% of the budget. Union BudgetThe total design. The revised estimates for 2025 26 show that allocations for women-only schemes have been reduced by nearly Rs 30,158 crore compared to the original estimates.
AIDWA criticized the restructuring of MGNREGA under the Viksit Bharat G Ram G scheme as “statistical juggling” and said allocations remain largely stagnant. Spending on ministries dealing with marginalized communities, including Minority Affairs and Tribal Affairs, has also decreased, along with cuts to several scholarship programs and residential schools.
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“This budget denies the realities experienced by women, particularly those from scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and minority communities. We will take our resistance to the streets,” Srimati said.