Context:

• In June 2025, India achieved its best-ever position in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, ranking 99 out of 167 countries, up from 109 in 2024.
• The improvement reflects steady progress since 2021, particularly in expanding access to basic services and infrastructure.
• However, the SDG Report highlighted persistent challenges in health and nutrition, where progress has been uneven, especially across rural and tribal communities.
• This article highlights India’s progress and challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) — health and well-being — emphasising gaps in maternal mortality, child survival, life expectancy, healthcare access, and the urgent need for systemic reforms and health education.

India’s Struggles with SDG 3: Health and Well-Being

• India’s progress on SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and well-being for all by 2030, remains off-track despite some gains.
• The Maternal Mortality Ratio is 97 deaths per 100,000 live births, above the target of 70.
• The under-five mortality rate is 32 per 1,000 live births, compared to the target of 25.
• Life expectancy stands at 70 years, below the target of 73.63.
• Out-of-pocket health expenditure is 13% of household consumption, nearly double the goal of 7.83%.
• Immunisation coverage, though strong at 93.23%, still falls short of the universal 100% target.

Reasons Behind the Slow Progress

• Key barriers include inadequate access to quality healthcare due to weak infrastructure and economic constraints.
• Non-economic factors such as poor nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, and lifestyle choices further worsen outcomes.
• Cultural practices, stigma around health issues, and low awareness often prevent communities from using available services.

Steps Required to Accelerate Progress on SDG Goal 3

• Accelerating progress requires a three-pronged strategy:
  • Universal Health Insurance to reduce financial burdens and improve equitable access, as shown by global experiences.
  • Robust Primary Health Centres with better coordination across primary, secondary, and tertiary care to detect diseases early and lower costs.
    • The World Health Statistics 2022 by WHO emphasises that robust primary healthcare systems enable early disease detection, lower hospitalisation costs, and deliver better long-term health outcomes.
  • Leveraging Digital Health Tools like telemedicine and integrated records to bridge rural access gaps. Global evidence, including from The Lancet Digital Health Commission, highlights how digital innovations improve maternal care and vaccination coverage — lessons India can adapt.

Health Education in Schools: A Key to Prevention

• Prevention is more cost-effective than treatment, and school-level health education is vital for shaping lifelong habits.
• Teaching children about nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, reproductive health, road safety, and mental health can improve behaviours early, with long-term benefits.
• Educated girls, as future mothers, can better advocate for family health, helping reduce maternal mortality, under-five deaths, and road accidents, while improving life expectancy and immunisation.
• Global examples strengthen this case: Finland’s 1970s reforms reduced cardiovascular diseases, while Japan’s compulsory health education improved hygiene and longevity.
• A structured, progressive curriculum in India could deliver similar transformative outcomes.

Need for Collective Action to Achieve SDG Goals

• Closing India’s SDG gap requires joint efforts from policymakers, parents, and citizens.
• Policymakers must embed health education in school curricula, expand universal health coverage, and strengthen primary healthcare.
• Parents should ensure schools cover physical, mental, and social health, and push for reforms if needed.
• While India’s improved SDG ranking is encouraging, only 17% of global targets are on track for 2030.
• Educating youth in healthy behaviour, backed by robust healthcare systems, can lay the foundation for sustainable progress.
• Looking beyond 2030, embedding health education is key to realising the vision of a healthier, stronger Viksit Bharat 2047.