The report was launched by Amitabh Kant, CEO Niti Aayog, in the presence of Preeti Sudan, Secretary, Ministry of Health, and Junaid Ahmad, India country director, World Bank.
Following Kerala in the list is Punjab and Tamil Nadu
HIGHLIGHTS
- UP has shown improvement in its annual performance
- Lakshadweep topped the list in the union territories category
- Jharkhand is the biggest gainer in annual increment performance
According to Niti Aayog's report titled, "Healthy States, Progressive India", Kerala tops the list of states on the basis of its overall health performance. The report has been developed by Niti Aayog with technical assistance from World Bank, and in consultation with the Ministry of Health. The report is an attempt to annually scrutinise and measure the state of affairs and complexities of health in the country. The report lists these states on the basis of their 'performance in health outcome index'. Following Kerala in the list of 21 large states is Punjab and Tamil Nadu.
The report was launched by Amitabh Kant, CEO Niti Aayog, in the presence of Preeti Sudan, Secretary, Ministry of Health, and Junaid Ahmad, India country director, World Bank.
The rankings of the states were done by dividing the country into 3 categories - large states, smaller states and union territories.
Kerala ranks first in the list with the health index of 76.55 in 2015-16. However, the state has shown a decline as compared to its performance in the previous year.
Uttar Pradesh on the other hand - a state which is at the bottom in the group of larger states - has shown an improvement in its annual performance as compared to the previous year.
In the category of larger states, Jharkhand turned out to be the biggest gainer in terms of its annual increment performance, followed by Jammu and Kashmir.
Moving on to the smaller states, Mizoram topped the list of overall performance, followed by Manipur. Manipur is also on the top of the list of annual increment performance. Goa and Meghalaya were next on the list of annual increment performance after Manipur.
Speaking of the union territories, the best overall performer and annual incremental performer is Lakshadweep.
Giving his opinion on the report, Dr Saarthak Bakshi, Delhi-based health expert and CEO of International Fertility Centre, says, "This report is like a mirror in the face. It is like indication of how well the states have been performing on the health index."
According to Dr Saarthak, child mortality rate, sex ratios at birth, immunisation rate, proportion of people living with HIV and tuberculosis are some of the important factors which determine the state's performance on health index.
In order to improve their performance, Dr Saarthak says that the states must focus on improving the condition of primary health care centres in rural areas. "Primary health care centres are tools for access for people living in the rural areas. States should also work on getting speciality hospitals and multispeciality centres. Most people come to a major city for treatment. Hence it becomes a matter of importance to have primary health centres in almost all of the villages," says Dr Saarthak while adding, "Most villagers don't have access to basic health care. To improve our health index, economy or society, we have to go down at the grass-root level and make a change in the primary health care system - this is the biggest source of wellness for people living in the rural areas."
(Dr Saarthak Bakshi is CEO of International Fertility Centre and is also a TEDx speaker)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
