Lancet Commission Calls for Citizen-Centred Health System to Drive Universal Coverage in India

A major news report from the Lancet Citizens’ Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System has outlined a blueprint for transforming healthcare in India, with a strong emphasis on citizen-centred, equitable, and universally accessible services.

The commission’s findings, presented at a public launch in New Delhi on January 21, 2026, reflect years of research and engagement with healthcare providers and citizens across diverse regions, aiming to guide reforms that could help India achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) within the next decade.

The commission- a cross-sector initiative backed by The Lancet, the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, and partners including Harvard University - investigated the strengths and limitations of India’s health system.

Its final report, grounded in evidence from thousands of household surveys and stakeholder consultations, stresses that healthcare must prioritise the needs, experiences and expectations of people rather than operate as a fragmented system that too often pushes patients toward costly private care.

Among its key recommendations is a shift toward integrated, publicly financed and publicly provided services that create seamless care from primary to tertiary levels. The commission emphasises the importance of community engagement, stronger accountability mechanisms, and robust governance reforms to make services more responsive to local needs.

It also highlights the need to improve health financing to protect households from catastrophic out-of-pocket expenses and expand human resources to address shortages and uneven distribution of healthcare workers.

Technology and data systems such as national health IDs and integrated digital records are cited as tools to enhance coordination, transparency and decision-making across the system. The roadmap also calls for reducing inequalities in access and health outcomes across different income groups, geographies and social segments.

Experts argue that this citizen-focused roadmap could not only improve health outcomes within India but also position the country as a model for equitable health system reform among low- and middle-income nations facing similar challenges.

The commission’s work signals a broader shift in health policy one that places people at the centre of system design and holds institutions accountable for delivering quality care to all.