India Ranked 145th Among 195 Countries In Healthcare Access & Quality Index

India Ranked 145th Among 195 Countries In Healthcare Access & Quality Index- Ranking Tally

India has been ranked 145th among 195 countries in terms of Healthcare access and quality (HAQ) index in the year 2016, behind its neighbors like China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.

The HAQ index was released as part of Global Burden of Disease study released by Lancet, one of the world's oldest and best known peer-reviewed general medical journal.

According to HAQ Index, top 5 countries with highest levels of healthcare access and quality in 2016 are Iceland (Rank-1st, Score-97.1 points), Norway ( Rank-2nd, Score-96.6), Netherlands (Rank-3rd, Score-96.1), Luxembourg (Rank-4th, 96.0), and Finland and Australia (5th, each with Score of 95.9).

India is behind China (48th), Sri Lanka (71st), Bangladesh (133rd) and Bhutan (134th) in terms of levels of healthcare access and quality. But it is better than Nepal (149th), Pakistan (154th) and Afghanistan (191st).

According to the HAQ Index, the countries with lowest scores are Central African Republic (18.6), Somalia (19.0), Guinea-Bissau (23.4), Chad (25.4), and Afghanistan (25.9).

Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index

HAQ Index to measure quality and accessibility of healthcare is based on 32 causes of death which should be preventable with effective medical care. Each of 195 countries and territories assessed was given a score between 0 (lowest)-100 (highest).

For the first time, HAQ Index has also analysed healthcare access and quality between regions within seven countries: Brazil, China, India, England, Japan, Mexico, and the US.