The health index comprises indicators in three domains: health outcomes, governance and information, and key inputs and processes. (File photo/PTI)
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana secured the top three positions in terms of overall performance among the 19 larger states
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana emerged as the top-performing states among the ‘large states’, Tripura performed well in the smaller states category while Delhi ranked at the bottom among the Union Territories in NITI Aayog’s annual ‘Health Index’ for Covid-19 pandemic year of 2020-21, according reports on Friday.
The Health Index, launched by NITI Aayog in 2017, assesses the performance of states and union territories based on 24 health performance indicators. NITI Aayog collaborated with the Union Health Ministry and the World Bank to release the comprehensive health index.
According to a The Indian Express report, the release of the ‘2020-21 Health Index Report’, which was scheduled for December 2022 (fifth edition), has not been made public yet. NITI Aayog is reported to have shared the annual ‘Health Index’ report for 2020-21 with the Health Ministry.
The report assesses the performance of states and union territories based on two parameters: incremental performance, measuring year-on-year progress, and overall performance, evaluating overall achievements. A NITI Aayog official told the publication that the report would be disclosed “at the appropriate time.”
Kerala, TN & Telangana Top Performers
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana have secured the top three positions in terms of overall performance among the 19 larger states, according to the government think tank. Meanwhile, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh occupy the bottom three positions, ranking 19th, 18th, and 17th, respectively.
Regarding incremental performance from 2019-20 to 2020-21, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Odisha have emerged as the top three performers among the larger states.
In the category of smaller states, Tripura has demonstrated the best overall performance, with Sikkim and Goa following closely. On the other hand, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur occupy the bottom three positions.
Among the union territories, Lakshadweep has secured the top position in terms of overall performance, while Delhi has been placed at the bottom.
Past Performances
In the fourth Health Index released by NITI Aayog in 2019-20, Kerala had emerged as the top performer among larger states in terms of overall health performance. Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand, ranked as the worst performer. Tamil Nadu and Telangana secured the second and third positions, respectively, in terms of health parameters.
Bihar and Madhya Pradesh were ranked as the second and third-worst performers. Interestingly, despite being ranked the worst, Uttar Pradesh achieved the highest incremental change from the base year (2018-19) to the reference year (2019-20), making it the top performer in terms of incremental performance.
Among the smaller states, Mizoram was recognised as the best performer in both overall performance and incremental performance. In the union territories, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir were ranked at the bottom in terms of overall performance. However, they were the leading performers in terms of incremental performance. The report highlighted that Kerala has consistently secured the top position in terms of overall performance in all four rounds of the Health Index.
The health index comprises indicators in three domains: health outcomes, governance and information, and key inputs and processes. The report has been prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) with technical assistance from the World Bank, as stated in a released statement in 2021.