Gujarat has once again secured the 1st position among Indian states in terms of health facilities, as per the latest Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Index released by NITI Aayog. This marks the 2nd consecutive year that Gujarat has achieved this distinction, reflecting its significant strides in healthcare and well-being.

The fourth edition of the SDG India Index, a primary tool for tracking progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in India, was released last month. This index evaluates the performance of all states and Union Territories across 17 global development goals, assigning scores based on various health indicators.

The SDG Index reviews health-related dimensions, including maternal mortality rate, infant mortality rate, child immunization, institutional delivery, registration of TB cases, HIV cases, life expectancy, road accident mortality, suicide rate, health workforce ratio, and out-of-pocket health expenditure.

Improvements in health metrics have been significant for Gujarat. The maternal mortality rate has been reduced from 75 to 57, and the under-five mortality rate has decreased from 31 to 24. Additionally, child immunization coverage has increased from 87% to 95.95%.

Additionally, Gujarat's average life expectancy has reached 70.5 years, compared to the national average of 70 years. The state's institutional birth rate stands at 99.94%, significantly higher than the national average of 97.18%.

The state's achievements serve as a model for other regions, demonstrating the impact of sustained investment in healthcare and well-being.