The National Institution for Transforming India, known as NITI Aayog, recently released the 2019-2020 edition of the State Health Index. This fourth edition is part of an ongoing series of annual publications that began in 2017. The State Health Index is a comprehensive tool used to evaluate the performance of Indian states and Union Territories (UTs) in terms of their health outcomes.
The Index draws on 24 indicators grouped into three key domains: ‘Health Outcomes’, ‘Governance and Information’, and ‘Key Inputs/Processes’. These indicators include factors like neonatal and under-five mortality rates, sex ratio at birth, institutional deliveries, senior officer occupancy in key health posts, shortfall in healthcare providers, functional medical facilities, and the success rate of tuberculosis treatment, among others.
NITI Aayog has developed the State Health Index with technical assistance from the World Bank and in close consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
Ranking Methodology and Results
This fourth edition focused on measuring and highlighting both the overall performance and incremental improvement of states and UTs from 2018-2019 to 2019-2020. To facilitate comparisons, rankings were categorized by size.
Among larger states, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Telangana showed the most improvement. Smaller states such as Mizoram and Meghalaya also demonstrated notable progress. In terms of Union Territories, Delhi followed by Jammu and Kashmir, registered the best incremental performance.
Kerala and Tamil Nadu ranked highest among the larger states in overall performance, while Mizoram and Tripura topped the smaller states category. Among the UTs, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (DH&DD) and Chandigarh emerged as the leaders.
Significance of the Index
The State Health Index is an important resource for policymakers. It aids in policy formulation and resource allocation, encouraging competition and collaboration among states and UTs. The aim is to inspire robust healthcare systems and improved service delivery.
This index also plays a crucial role in achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The MoHFW has reinforced the tool’s importance by linking it to incentives under the National Health Mission.
Limitations of the Index
However, the State Health Index does have limitations. Certain areas such as infectious diseases, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), mental health, governance, and financial risk protection are not completely captured due to data quality issues. Additionally, private sector data on health services is often limited or unevenly available. For certain indicators, only data for larger states is accessible.
Despite these challenges, the State Health Index remains a valuable tool for measuring performance and promoting improvement in India’s health sector.
Associated Health Initiatives
Several health initiatives are associated with the State Health Index, some of which include the National Health Mission (NHM), Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. These complement the wider national health efforts and align with the goals outlined by the Index.
Last Modified: February 14, 2024