The Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) introduced under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to create a seamless digital health ecosystem in India is proving to be a gamechanger, particularly in the management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) requiring long-term treatment and care. The unique ABHA identification (ID) empowers individuals to digitally store their medical records and securely share them with health providers. It also facilitates interoperability among hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres, strengthening the health system’s ability to provide quality medical services.
In the state of Chhattisgarh, ABHA IDs have been integrated with the national NCD portal under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of NCDs (NP-NCD) to streamline enrollment, screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of NCD patients across the country. Its tablet- and mobile-based apps for community health workers – including ASHA (accredited social health activist) CHO (Community Health Officers) and ANM (auxiliary nurse-midwife)) – and a web-based platform for primary health centres, community health centres and district hospitals, enhance ease of use.
/countries/india/trend-of-cumulative-abha-id-linking-with-under-treatment-hypertension-and-diabetes-patient--durg.jpg?sfvrsn=3e35e4e1_6 "Trend of cumulative ABHA ID linking with under-treatment hypertension and diabetes patient, Durg 01")
“The creation of ABHA ID is a priority of the Government of Chhattisgarh for further strengthening delivery of health services. It will definitely support efforts for the prevention and management of NCDs in the state,” said Dr Priyanka Shukla, Officer on Special Duty, Government of Chhattisgarh, and Commissioner-cum-Director Health Services.
Health workers are being trained to integrate the ABHA ID with individual health records through structured capacity-building initiatives for efficiently managing patient data to ensure continuity of care through real-time monitoring and reporting.
/countries/india/health-staff-scanning-an-abha-card-at-urban-aam-mahuwari-in-durg--chhattisgarh.jpg?sfvrsn=b22ed1cd_3 "Health staff scanning an ABHA card at Urban AAM Mahuwari in Durg, Chhattisgarh")
Health staff scanning an ABHA card at Urban AAM Mahuwari in Durg, Chhattisgarh (Photo: Atul Shukla / © WHO India)
Durg district in Chhattisgarh has already registered rapid improvements in treatment adherence in terms of improved follow-up visits and disease control status among registered patients undergoing treatment for hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes. Between January 2024 and February 2025, the district integrated an additional 12,627 ABHA IDs with registered hypertension/diabetes patients’ health records on the national NCD portal. With improved integration and effective use through printed ABHA IDs, the follow-up rate rose to 68% among ABHA-linked patients as compared to 37% in non-linked patients, while the control rate for hypertension and diabetes went up to 49% in ABHA-linked patients, versus 29% in non-linked patients, as of February 2025.
In Durg, in coordination with the state and district NCD teams of the Government of Chhattisgarh, WHO has conducted training-of-trainers for medical officers, nursing and community health officers on protocol-based management of hypertension and diabetes, as well as integration of ABHA ID with the national NCD Portal in both rural and urban primary health facilities. Since the offline version of the NCD portal does not support ABHA ID integration at the Sub-centre Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) level, WHO has facilitated the transition of the national NCD portal from the offline to the online mode, which resulted in incremental increase in the linkage of ABHA IDs.
/countries/india/impact-on-the-follow-up-adherence-and-control-rates-among-hypertensive-and-diabetes-patients-in-abha-linked-vs-non-linked-patients--durg-(february-2025-data-from-the-national-ncd-portal)-01.jpg?sfvrsn=5f388512_10 "Impact on the follow-up adherence and control rates among hypertensive and diabetes patients in ABHA linked vs non-linked patients, Durg (February 2025 data from the national NCD portal) 01")
“Integrating ABHA ID with the national NCD portal will help in improving the quality of data and NCD care management in all facilities in Chhattisgarh," said Prof. Dr Kamlesh Jain, state NCD nodal officer, Chhattisgarh.
Improvements in data quality has also improved the efficiency and confidence of the health staff in managing patients. “After the training, I have been regularly linking ABHA ID in the national NCD portal at urban AAM Mahuwari in Durg. I have reduced duplicate entries and improved follow-ups by simply scanning the QR code,” says Ms Jhaneshwary Sahu, staff nurse, AAM Mahuwari.
“The ABHA ID integration has been initiated in all facilities. It has almost doubled follow-up and treatment adherence among patients with ABHA IDs, as compared to patients who don’t yet have one,” shares Mrs Kavita Chandrakar, district NCD consultant under National Health Mission.
/countries/india/abha-ids-are-printed-and-pasted-on-the-patient-s-ncd-card-at-urban-aam-mahuwari-in-durg--chhattisgarh.jpg?sfvrsn=fdcdf4ee_3 "ABHA IDs are printed and pasted on the patient’s NCD card at Urban AAM Mahuwari in Durg, Chhattisgarh")
ABHA IDs are printed and pasted on the patient’s NCD card at Urban AAM Mahuwari in Durg, Chhattisgarh (Photo: Atul Shukla / © WHO India)
The process of mapping ABHA IDs is being meticulously tracked, monitored and analyzed by the state government and WHO teams. A WHO training video in Hindi on the process of linking ABHA IDs using the Adhaar demographic feature is being used as a ready-reckoner for a uniform message to each health worker.
WHO works in close coordination with Government of India’s Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and state governments to provide technical support in policy decisions, intersectoral collaboration, finalization of the treatment protocol and improving the disease control status to prevent deaths related to uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes.