NFHS 6 Report: The percentage of institutional deliveries, i.e., deliveries taking place in hospitals and health centers, has increased to 90.6 percent in the country. This figure was 88.6 percent in the previous NFHS-5 report.

NFHS 6 Report 2023-2024

NFHS 6 Report: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released the National Family Health Survey-6 report. The survey, conducted in 2023-24, covered approximately 6.89 lakh families across 715 districts across the country. The report documents improvements in several key indicators related to maternal and child health, immunization, nutrition, access to health services, and women's economic and digital empowerment.

According to the survey, the impact of various government health programs implemented over the past few years is now becoming evident. The number of women delivering in hospitals has increased, child vaccination coverage has improved, and several indicators of malnutrition have declined. However, the report also expressed concern about lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Delivery rate in the hospital crosses 90 percent.

According to the National Family Health Survey, the percentage of institutional deliveries in India, i.e., deliveries taking place in hospitals and health centers, has increased to 90.6 percent. In the previous NFHS-5 report, this figure was 88.6 percent. The number of deliveries supervised by trained health workers has also increased. The report states that the health services available to pregnant women have also improved. The percentage of women receiving antenatal care has increased to 95.9 percent. The number of women undergoing first trimester checkups has increased from 70 percent to 76.2 percent. The percentage of women undergoing at least four pregnancy checkups has increased from 58.5 percent to 65.2 percent.

There has also been an increase in the vaccination of children.

According to the survey, full vaccination coverage among children aged 12 to 23 months increased to 87.1 percent, compared to 83.8 percent in the previous report. The report shows that most children were vaccinated through government health institutions. Rotavirus vaccine coverage also increased, rising from 36.4 percent to 85.4 percent. The percentage of children receiving the second dose of measles vaccine also increased from 58.6 percent to 71.8 percent. The Ministry of Health believes that the universal immunization campaign and the expansion of the public health infrastructure are having a positive impact.

Signs of malnutrition in children also improved.

The report also noted improvements in the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age. The percentage of children with stunted height for age decreased from 35.5% to 29.3%, while severe wasting decreased from 7.7% to 5.2%. A slight decrease was also observed in the number of underweight children. Furthermore, a decline in the incidence of acute respiratory infections and severe diarrhea in children was observed. According to the report, the number of mothers breastfeeding within the first hour of birth has increased, and the availability of complementary foods for children aged six to eight months has also improved.  

Increasing obesity and lifestyle diseases pose a challenge

While several indicators related to maternal and child health have shown improvement, the report also raises concerns about non-communicable diseases. The survey found an increase in cases of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Experts say that changing lifestyles and eating habits could pose a significant challenge for the country in the future.