2 weeks ago

India's Health Battles and Wins Ahead of Independence Day 2026

India celebrates its Independence Day every year.

This year, doctors and experts are talking about how healthy people in India are.

The good news is that India has gotten much better at keeping mothers and babies safe.

Many fewer babies die now than they did before.

India is also fighting tuberculosis, a lung sickness, by testing many more people for it.

But India still has big problems, like diabetes and dirty air.

Many adults have diabetes, where the body has trouble handling sugar.

India is building more hospitals, training more doctors, and keeping health records on computers.

That way, patients can get care anywhere, even far from big cities.

The big dream is that one day, fewer people will get sick in the first place.

Key facts

Maternal mortality ratio (2023): 80.5 deaths per 100,000 live births (down from 362.3 in 2000)
Under-five mortality rate: 27.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023 (down from 91.6 in 2000)
WHO-estimated TB incidence (2023): 192 cases per 100,000 people
Adults with type 2 diabetes: 77 million, with nearly 25 million more prediabetic
NCD share of deaths (2016): 63%, with cardiovascular disease causing 27% of all deaths
Ayushman cards under PM-JAY (Feb 2026): Over 43.5 crore created
ABHA IDs under ABDM (Jul 20, 2026): Over 94.87 crore created
Out-of-pocket health expenditure (2021-22): Rs 3.56 lakh crore, 39.4% of total health expenditure

NDTV · 2 weeks ago