India ranked 99 out of 167 countries in the 2025 SDG Report, marking its best-ever position and an improvement from rank 109 in 2024. 

• However, progress on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) remains uneven, with persistent gaps in health outcomes, particularly among rural and tribal communities.

Current Status of SDG 3 in India

• Maternal and Child Health: The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is at 97 deaths per 100,000 live births, higher than the 2030 target of 70. 
  • The under-five mortality rate remains at 32 per 1,000 live births, far above the global benchmark of 2–6 in developed countries.
• Life Expectancy: India’s life expectancy is 70 years, falling short of the 2030 target of 73.63 years.
• Financial Burden: Out-of-pocket expenditure on health is 13% of total consumption, nearly double the targeted 7.83%, leaving families financially vulnerable.
• Immunisation Coverage: While coverage has reached 93.23%, universal immunisation at 100% is still not achieved.

Causes of Health Gaps

• Infrastructure and Economic Barriers: Poor access to quality healthcare, particularly in rural and tribal areas, hampers service delivery.
• Nutrition, Hygiene, and Lifestyle Issues: Malnutrition, poor sanitation, and unhealthy lifestyles aggravate health outcomes.
• Cultural and Social Factors: Stigma around mental health, limited awareness, and cultural practices often deter communities from availing healthcare services.

Role of Health Education in Prevention

• School-Level Education: Introducing structured health education on nutrition, hygiene, reproductive health, road safety, and mental health can instill lifelong healthy habits in children.
• Long-Term Impact: Educated children, especially girls, carry better health knowledge into adulthood, reducing maternal and child mortality and improving life expectancy.
• Global Examples: Finland’s 1970s school reforms helped cut cardiovascular disease rates, while Japan’s compulsory health education boosted hygiene and life expectancy. 

Way Forward

• Universal and Affordable Health Care: Expand Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) into true universal health coverage, reducing out-of-pocket expenditure from 13% to the target of 7.8%. 
  • Modernise Primary Health Centres (PHCs) with strong referral chains and integrate digital tools such as telemedicine and electronic health records (EHRs) for equitable access.
• Preventive Health and Education: Embed school-based health education covering nutrition, hygiene, reproductive health, mental health, and safety practices. 
  • This should be complemented with community awareness campaigns to address malnutrition, anaemia, and health-related stigma.
• Maternal, Child and Adolescent Care: Reduce the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) from 97 to 70 and the Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) from 32 to 25 through skilled deliveries, neonatal care, and universal immunisation coverage (raising it from 93% to 100%). 
  • Simultaneously, strengthen adolescent reproductive and sexual health services.
• Nutrition and Lifestyle Transformation: Scale up the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Poshan Abhiyan (National Nutrition Mission), ensuring balanced diets beyond calorie sufficiency. 
  • Promote healthy lifestyle practices and nutrition awareness from childhood to adulthood.
• Global Learning and Innovation: Adapt Finland and Japan’s school health models to institutionalise lifelong health behaviours. 
  • Adopt low-cost digital innovations from Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) to strengthen disease tracking, maternal health, and child health monitoring.
• Collaborative Governance and Long-Term Vision: Align state and national health missions, leverage Public–Private Partnerships (PPP), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and parental involvement for last-mile health delivery. 
  • Embed a preventive, equitable, and digital-ready health system into the long-term vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Conclusion

• India’s improved SDG rank is promising, yet SDG 3 targets remain off-track. Urgent focus on universal coverage, robust primary care, digital health, and school-based education is vital to achieve “health for all” and Viksit Bharat 2047.

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