The hits and misses of NFHS-6: A doctor's perspective
Maternal care, immunisation and nutrition are better, but the significant demographic and epidemiological shift towards non-communicable diseases is worrying
NFHS-6 has confirmed India’s progress in maternal care, immunisation and nutrition. At the same time, it signals a significant demographic and epidemiological shift towards non-communicable diseases, making preventive healthcare and lifestyle interventions increasingly important for the future. Dr Manisha Arora, director-internal medicine at the C.K. Birla Hospital, New Delhi, gives a doctor’s perspective on the findings that stood out the most.
MATERNAL, CHILD HEALTH SHOW STRONG GAINS
One of the most encouraging findings is the improvement in maternal and child health indicators. Institutional deliveries increased from 88.6 per cent to 90.6 per cent while mothers receiving four or more antenatal care visits rose from 58.5 per cent to 65.2 per cent. Child immunisation has also reached new highs, with full vaccination coverage among children aged 12-23 months increasing from 83.8 per cent to 87.1 per cent. Notably, 95.6 per cent of children received vaccinations through public health facilities.
BETTER NUTRITION BUT DIET QUALITY A CONCERN
Long-term nutrition indicators improved. Stunting among children under five declined from 35.5 per cent to 29.3 per cent, and breastfeeding within one hour of birth increased from 41.8 per cent to 50.1 per cent. However, some red flags remain. Exclusive breastfeeding for six months declined from 63.7 per cent to 55.8 per cent, and only 15.1 per cent of children aged 6-23 months received an adequate diet.
FERTILITY HAS STABILISED
India’s Total Fertility Rate remained steady at 2.0, below the replacement level of 2.1. At the same time, the contraceptive prevalence rate increased from 66.7 per cent to 69.1 per cent, indicating continued progress in family planning and reproductive health.
EMERGING CHALLENGES
NFHS-6 highlights the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. Among women aged 15-49 years, overweight and obesity increased from 24 per cent to 30.7 per cent, reaching 42.8 per cent in urban areas. Among men, the prevalence rose from 22.9 per cent to 27.9 per cent. High blood sugar levels have also increased, affecting 20.9 per cent of men and 17.8 per cent of women, with prevalence higher in urban India.
THE MISSING INDICATORS
The NFHS-6 fact-sheet has reduced the number of reported indicators from 131 to 101. The missing indicators include anaemia, sex ratio at birth, infant and child mortality, clean cooking fuel, sanitation, HIV knowledge and quality of family planning services. While anaemia was excluded due to concerns regarding the accuracy of finger-prick haemoglobin testing, the absence of several other key indicators has raised questions.
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NFHS-6 has confirmed India’s progress in maternal care, immunisation and nutrition. At the same time, it signals a significant demographic and epidemiological shift towards non-communicable diseases, making preventive healthcare and lifestyle interventions increasingly important for the future. Dr Manisha Arora, director-internal medicine at the C.K. Birla Hospital, New Delhi, gives a doctor’s perspective on the findings that stood out the most.
MATERNAL, CHILD HEALTH SHOW STRONG GAINS
One of the most encouraging findings is the improvement in maternal and child health indicators. Institutional deliveries increased from 88.6 per cent to 90.6 per cent while mothers receiving four or more antenatal care visits rose from 58.5 per cent to 65.2 per cent. Child immunisation has also reached new highs, with full vaccination coverage among children aged 12-23 months increasing from 83.8 per cent to 87.1 per cent. Notably, 95.6 per cent of children received vaccinations through public health facilities.
BETTER NUTRITION BUT DIET QUALITY A CONCERN
Long-term nutrition indicators improved. Stunting among children under five declined from 35.5 per cent to 29.3 per cent, and breastfeeding within one hour of birth increased from 41.8 per cent to 50.1 per cent. However, some red flags remain. Exclusive breastfeeding for six months declined from 63.7 per cent to 55.8 per cent, and only 15.1 per cent of children aged 6-23 months received an adequate diet.
FERTILITY HAS STABILISED
India’s Total Fertility Rate remained steady at 2.0, below the replacement level of 2.1. At the same time, the contraceptive prevalence rate increased from 66.7 per cent to 69.1 per cent, indicating continued progress in family planning and reproductive health.
EMERGING CHALLENGES
NFHS-6 highlights the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. Among women aged 15-49 years, overweight and obesity increased from 24 per cent to 30.7 per cent, reaching 42.8 per cent in urban areas. Among men, the prevalence rose from 22.9 per cent to 27.9 per cent. High blood sugar levels have also increased, affecting 20.9 per cent of men and 17.8 per cent of women, with prevalence higher in urban India.
THE MISSING INDICATORS
The NFHS-6 fact-sheet has reduced the number of reported indicators from 131 to 101. The missing indicators include anaemia, sex ratio at birth, infant and child mortality, clean cooking fuel, sanitation, HIV knowledge and quality of family planning services. While anaemia was excluded due to concerns regarding the accuracy of finger-prick haemoglobin testing, the absence of several other key indicators has raised questions.
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