Kerala ranks fourth in NITI Aayog's health index
Gujarat now holds the top spot in the ranking.
NITI Aayog's SDG India Index computes goal-wise scores on 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) for states and union territories (UTs), besides a composite index.
One of them, SDG 3 on 'good health and wellbeing', assesses the performance in the health sector. Kerala topped SDG 3 in the first two index reports, but could not find a place even in the top 3 in later editions. However, the state has been retaining the top slot in the composite index — cumulative score of all goals — since the first edition.
When Kerala topped the SDG 3 chart in 2018 (the first edition) and 2019-20, it scored 92 and 82 points, respectively, well above the national average. In 2020-21 (third edition), three new indicators were included — suicide rate, accident death rate and out-of-pocket expenditure — and the state plummeted to 12th position with a score of 72 points, below the national average of 74. Gujarat stood first with a score of 86.
In the fourth and latest edition (2023-24), Kerala improved its score to 80 surpassing the national average of 77. However, it had to settle for fourth place in the country. Gujarat retained the top slot with a score of 90. It was followed by Maharashtra and Uttarakhand (84) and Himachal Pradesh (83). Karnataka shared the fourth spot with Kerala.
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