Question : Sustainable Development Goals

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware that India was ranked below Comoros and Ghana and was placed just ahead of Pakistan and Bangladesh on the health related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) index;

(b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto and the steps taken by the Government to improve India''s position in the health related SDG index;

(c) whether the Government has taken any note of WHO Report which ranks India''s healthcare system at 112 out of 190 countries and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government is spending adequate amount of funds on health in the country and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether the National Health Accounts which estimates the expenditure incurred for consumption of healthcare goods and services in India has presented the data for 2013-14 and if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) & (b): Yes. A study titled “Measuring the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 Countries: a baseline analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015” published recently in “The Lancet” placed India below Ghana and Comoros and above Pakistan and Bangladesh. The study provides an analysis of 33 health-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators.






The SDG 3 of “health and wellbeing of all at all ages” is in sync with the vision of proposed National Health policy and National Health Mission (NHM). The unfinished agenda of Millennium Development Goals including Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) and Disease control targets are part of NHM goals and intersectoral convergence is a key strategy. Universal healthcare is a stated goal of the government. It is also one of the targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and underpins all other targets in SDG 3 relating to Health. A National Task Force on SDG 3 has been set up by the Ministry not only to deliberate on policy and strategy but also provide technical support and guidance on SDGs to States.

(c): Yes. The World Health Report 2000 published by World Health Organization ranked member countries (191) where India is placed at 112th position on overall health system performance. The ranking is based on the composite index of five performance indicators covering health & its inequality, responsiveness level & its distribution and fair financing.

(d): Public health is a state subject. However, under NHM, Government provides support to States / UTs to strengthen their healthcare system for provision of accessible, affordable and quality health care to the people. To reduce the out of pocket expenditure, NHM provides supports to States to provide free patient care including drugs and diagnostics free of cost in public health facilities. Support is also provided for free dialysis to the poor under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme. Under the Rastriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY), cashless benefit upto Rs. 30,000 per annum per family for specified hospitalization procedures is available to all BPL population and eleven other categories of vulnerable population groups.

As per Economic Survey 2015-16 brought out by Ministry of Finance, public expenditure on health (Centre and States) as percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2015-16 (BE) was 1.3 per cent.

(e): Yes. The total healthcare expenditure estimated under the System of Health Accounts 2011 framework for India, is Rs. 4,53,106 Crore during 2013-14 of which Government Health Expenditure is Rs. 1,29,778 Crore.

A statement of estimates of health care expenditure parameters/indicators during the year 2013-14 is annexed.