The SDG Index 2025 India Health report highlights the country’s progress on Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Good Health & Well-being. This goal covers maternal and child health, universal healthcare, epidemic control, non-communicable diseases, and affordable medicines. Understanding India’s SDG Index 2025 India Health performance is crucial for UPSC preparation, as it reflects both achievements and challenges in the health sector.

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Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index 2025

What are SDGs?

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal set of 17 goals adopted by UN Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

• They aim to balance economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection.

• SDGs replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (2000–2015).

• India monitors its progress through the SDG India Index (NITI Aayog).

SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-being

1. • Maternal & Child Health

     • Aim: Reduce maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to below 70 per 100,000 live births.

     • Focus on safe childbirth, skilled birth attendance, and nutrition.

     • Reduce under-5 mortality through immunisation, nutrition programs, and neonatal care.

   • Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

     • Ensure affordable and accessible healthcare for all citizens.

     • Includes financial protection (insurance), essential medicines, and healthcare infrastructure.

   • Epidemics & Diseases

     • End tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases by 2030.

     • Strengthen disease surveillance, early diagnosis, and free treatment access.

   • Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

     • Address lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions.

     • Focus on prevention through awareness, screening, and healthy lifestyle promotion.

   • Immunisation & Vaccination

     • Universal coverage against diseases like measles, polio, hepatitis, and COVID-19.

     • Prevents child mortality and ensures herd immunity.

   • Road Traffic Injuries & Accidents

     • Reduce accidental deaths by improving road safety laws, helmets/seatbelts use, trauma care centres.

   • Mental Health & Substance Abuse

     • Tackle issues of depression, anxiety, suicide prevention, and drug/alcohol abuse.

     • Promote awareness, counselling, and mental health inclusion in public health policy.

   • Affordable Medicines & Vaccines

     • Improve access to low-cost essential drugs and vaccines.

     • Promote generic medicines and local production to cut costs, especially in developing nations.

Key Challenges for India

1. Unaffordability of Healthcare

• Out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) in India is ~47% of total health spending (World Bank, 2023).

• Middle and lower-middle class families often fall into poverty due to medical bills.

• Health insurance penetration is still limited.

2. Middle-Income Group Gap

• Poor households benefit from targeted schemes, rich can afford private healthcare → but middle-income groups get squeezed.

• Often ineligible for government subsidies but unable to afford costly private treatment.

3. Dual Disease Burden

• Communicable diseases like TB, dengue, and malaria persist.

• Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, cancer, hypertension are rising rapidly due to lifestyle changes.

• This dual burden strains health systems.

4. Poor Health Infrastructure

• Doctor–population ratio: ~1:1456 (WHO recommends 1:1000).

• Shortage of specialists in rural areas (obstetricians, paediatricians, anaesthetists).

• Inadequate public hospitals → over-reliance on costly private sector.

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Government Schemes – Key Points & Role

1. Ayushman Bharat – PM-JAY (2018)

   • World’s largest health insurance scheme.

   • Provides ₹5 lakh cover per family per year.

   • Role: Protects poor & vulnerable from catastrophic medical expenses.

2. Health & Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs)

   • Aim: 1.5 lakh centres across India.

   • Provide preventive care, maternal & child health, NCD screening.

   • Role: Strengthens primary healthcare access.

3. National Health Mission (NHM)

   • Includes NRHM (rural) + NUHM (urban).

   • Focus on maternal health, child immunisation, and disease control.

   • Role: Reduces IMR & MMR; strengthens grassroots health workers (ASHA).

4. Mission Indradhanush (2014, expanded in 2017)

   • Expands immunisation coverage for children & pregnant women.

   • Role: Raises vaccination coverage → currently ~76%.

5. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

   • Builds digital health IDs and medical records.

   • Role: Improves transparency & patient-centric services.

6. TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (2025 Target)

   • Aims to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025 (ahead of global 2030 target).

   • Role: Screening, nutrition support, free medicines.

Comparative Table – India vs Global (SDG 3 Health Indicators)

1. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)

   • India: ~103 per 100,000 live births

   • Global Average: 152

   • Developed Nations: <10

2. Under-5 Mortality Rate

   • India: ~35 per 1000 live births

   • Global Average: 37

   • Developed Nations: <5

3. Life Expectancy

   • India: ~69–70 years

   • Global Average: ~73 years

   • Developed Nations: 78–82 years

4. Health Expenditure (% of GDP)

   • India: <3%

   • Global Average: ~6%

   • Developed Nations: 8–9%

5. Immunisation Coverage

   • India: ~76%

   • Global Average: ~85%

   • Developed Nations: >95%

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Impact

Positive

• SDG framework provides measurable global benchmarks for India’s progress.

• Promotes global cooperation in vaccines, medicines, and epidemic control.

• Encourages state-level competition via NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index.

Challenges

• High Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) pushes families into poverty.

• Persistent rural–urban divide and inter-state health inequalities.

• Rising dual disease burden → infectious diseases + lifestyle diseases.

 

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