Achieving SDG-3 in India: “Ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing at all ages”
India’s concerted efforts to achieve sustainable development goal (SDG)-3 targets, which focus on ensuring universal health coverage and promoting well-being across all age groups, form the focal point of rigorous public health actions. This study aims to assess India’s progress toward SDG-3 targets, identify areas needing improvement, and propose measures for future advancements by analyzing the common review mission (CRM) reports of India. Utilizing secondary data collected from public domains, this study employs descriptive data analysis to examine data from 2015 to 2022 and the envisioned 2030 targets across four pivotal domains: maternal health, newborn and child health; communicable diseases; non-communicable diseases and injuries; and overarching health systems strengthening. The qualitative data were obtained from the CRM reports, which are annual reviews conducted by the Government of India. The analysis underscores the average annual rate of change (AARC) calculation for all states and the national average in India, revealing substantive disparities and areas needing enhanced progress. Findings indicate that with the prevailing AARCs (AARC: 6.90%), India will not be able to achieve the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) targets. To achieve the SDGs, the AARC for MMR, neonatal mortality rate, and under-five mortality rate must improve from 6.90% to 7.80%, 3.40% to 5.40%, and 1.30% to 2.11%, respectively. This study highlights that achieving SDG-3 targets requires state-specific, data-driven planning integrated within the Block Health Action Plan, which feeds into district and state health action plans. Effective alignment with SDG-3 imperatives necessitates meticulous planning informed by disease burdens and mortality rates, prioritizing non-communicable diseases, road traffic injuries, and suicides.
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