India's Roadmap to Achieve SDG-3: A Strategic Framework Grounded in NFHS-6 Evidence, Health Systems Strengthening, and Sustainable Health Governance

DOI

No DOI

Published In

Volume 6, Issue 3 (2026)

Published Online

May-June 2026

Pages

230-240

Article Type

Original Article

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Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3) seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. As the world's most populous country and home to nearly one-sixth of humanity, India's progress toward SDG-3 is critical not only for national development but also for global health outcomes. Recent empirical findings from the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) indicate notable improvements in maternal healthcare utilization, institutional deliveries, immunization coverage, and selected child nutrition indicators. Nevertheless, substantial challenges remain in the form of persistent regional inequalities, quality-of-care deficits, rising non-communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, climate-related health risks, and financial barriers to healthcare access. This article critically examines India's progress toward SDG-3 through the lens of NFHS-6 data, SDG monitoring indicators, and contemporary public health scholarship. Drawing upon the World Health Organization's (WHO) Health Systems Framework, the Social Determinants of Health approach, and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) principles, the study argues that India must move beyond a service-expansion paradigm toward a model emphasizing quality, equity, resilience, and population health outcomes. Using a narrative review and policy analysis methodology, the article evaluates achievements, identifies structural gaps, and proposes a strategic roadmap for accelerating SDG-3 attainment by 2030. The analysis demonstrates that future progress will depend upon strengthening primary healthcare, reducing health inequities, expanding financial protection, addressing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, and developing climate-resilient and digitally integrated health systems.