90 crore Indians get digital health IDs as ABHA crosses major milestone | India News
NEW DELHI: India’s digital health mission has crossed a major milestone with more than 90 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHAs) now created across the country, reflecting the rapid expansion of a nationwide digital health ecosystem that aims to make medical records accessible with a click.The National Health Authority (NHA) on Saturday announced that the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has crossed the 90-crore mark, up from 14.7 crore ABHAs in 2021, underscoring one of the world’s largest digital health record initiatives.ABHA is a unique 14-digit digital health identity that allows individuals to securely link, access and share their health records across hospitals, clinics, laboratories and digital health applications with their consent. It is designed to reduce dependence on physical medical records and improve continuity of care.The growth has been particularly rapid over the past five years. Cumulative ABHA creation rose from 14.7 crore in 2021 to 30.4 crore in 2022, 50.6 crore in 2023, 72.2 crore in 2024 and 84.5 crore in 2025, before crossing the 90-crore milestone this year.State-wise data show Uttar Pradesh leading the country with more than 15.3 crore ABHAs, followed by Rajasthan and Maharashtra with over 7 crore each, Bihar with 6.3 crore and West Bengal with 5.9 crore. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka also figure among the top contributors.Several states and Union Territories have achieved near-universal coverage relative to their population. Andhra Pradesh has recorded 98.5% ABHA saturation, while Odisha (91.9%), Chandigarh (90.8%), Rajasthan (89.7%), Himachal Pradesh (88.9%) and Chhattisgarh (86.6%) have also reported high coverage levels. Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu have achieved full saturation.The digital health initiative has also seen strong participation from women, who account for 49.75% of all ABHA holders, indicating that nearly half of India’s digital health identities have been created by women.Dr Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO of the National Health Authority, said the creation of over 90 crore ABHAs reflects growing participation by citizens, states and health ecosystem partners. He said ABHA enables secure, consent-based access to health information and will help reduce dependence on physical records while improving continuity of care and transparency in healthcare delivery.
