National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6)

Source: PIB

Context:

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released the sixth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), conducted in 2023-24 with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai as the nodal agency. The survey covered nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts and now provides district-level evidence on population, health, nutrition, and family welfare indicators. Two major shifts stand out. First, obesity and diabetes have risen sharply across India in just five years: obesity in women aged 15-49 has gone up from 24 per cent in NFHS-5 to 30.7 per cent in NFHS-6, while obesity in men in the same age group has risen from 22.9 per cent to 27.3 per cent.

Key Highlights

• Survey: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6).
• Reference period: 2023-24.
• Released by: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Nodal agency: International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai.

Major Findings

• Institutional deliveries increased from 88.6% to 90.6%, strengthening safe childbirth coverage across India.
• Antenatal Care (ANC) registration reached 95.9%, while first-trimester checkups improved to 76.2% and four ANC visits rose to 65.2%.
• India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) remained stable at 2.0, staying below the replacement level of 2.1.
• Child stunting declined significantly from 35.5% to 29.3%, while severe wasting reduced from 7.7% to 5.2%.
• Full immunization coverage among children aged 12–23 months increased from 83.8% to 87.1%.
• Rotavirus vaccine coverage more than doubled from 36.4% to 85.4%, reflecting improved immunization outreach.
• Over 95.6% of childhood vaccinations were delivered through public healthcare facilities, indicating strong trust in government health systems.
• Household health insurance coverage rose sharply from 41% to 60.2%, supported by schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
• Internet usage among women increased from 33.3% to 64.3%, narrowing the female digital divide.
• Caesarean section deliveries rose sharply from 21.5% to 27.2%, raising concerns over increasing surgical births.

Key Challenges Identified

• Around 40.5% of children aged 6–8 months still do not receive adequate solid or semi-solid complementary food.
• Nearly 12.9% of children remain partially vaccinated or unvaccinated despite high overall immunization coverage.
• Rising lifestyle diseases and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are emerging as major public health concerns.
• India continues to face a dual burden of undernutrition alongside rising adult overweight and obesity levels.
• Only 37.8% of pregnant women consumed iron-folic acid supplements for the recommended 180 days, indicating gaps in maternal nutrition compliance.

Background Concepts

What is the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), and How is It Conducted?

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, nationally representative, household-level sample survey that provides reliable data on population, health, nutrition, and family welfare in India. It is conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, as the nodal agency. Field work is carried out by a network of field agencies, with technical support from international partners like ICF (USA) for DHS-style surveys and WHO. The NFHS provides state-, district-, and national-level estimates on fertility, family planning, infant and child mortality, immunisation, nutrition, anaemia, women’s empowerment, gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS, and non-communicable disease risk factors. The first NFHS (NFHS-1) was conducted in 1992-93, and the rounds have grown progressively larger: NFHS-5 (2019-21) and now NFHS-6 (2023-24) with 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts. NFHS data is used for planning Ayushman Bharat, ICDS, POSHAN Abhiyaan, RBSK, Anaemia Mukt Bharat, NP-NCD, and many other welfare programmes.

Practice MCQs

Q1. With reference to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), consider the following statements:

1. NFHS-6 was conducted in 2023-24 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
2. The International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, served as the nodal agency.
3. The survey covered around 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts.
4. NFHS-6 provides district-level estimates on population, health, nutrition, and family welfare.

How many of the above statements are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

Q2. Consider the following statements about the key findings of NFHS-6:

1. Obesity in women aged 15-49 has risen from 24 per cent in NFHS-5 to 30.7 per cent in NFHS-6.
2. Obesity in men aged 15-49 has risen from 22.9 per cent to 27.3 per cent.
3. Diabetes prevalence (on medication) has risen in both men and women between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6.
4. Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are emerging as hotspots for overweight and obese adults.

Which of the above are correct? (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 1, 3 and 4 only (c) 2 and 4 only (d) 1 and 4 only (e) All four

Q3. With reference to Caesarean (C-section) births in India, as per NFHS-6, consider the following statements:

1. The national share of births by C-section has risen from 21.5 per cent in NFHS-5 to 27.2 per cent in NFHS-6.
2. Private hospitals reported a C-section rate of 54.1 per cent compared to 16.9 per cent in public hospitals.
3. Urban areas reported a C-section rate of about 40.5 per cent compared to about 22.8 per cent in rural areas.
4. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu reported some of the highest state-level C-section rates.

Which of the above are correct? (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 1, 3 and 4 only (c) 2 and 4 only (d) 1 and 4 only (e) All four

Q4. Consider the following statements about obesity and Type 2 diabetes:

1. The World Health Organization considers excess body weight as one of the strongest risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.
2. Excess abdominal fat is linked to insulin resistance, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
3. Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or above is classified as overweight under standard WHO criteria.
4. Maternal obesity and diabetes are associated with higher rates of Caesarean delivery.

Which of the above are correct? (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 1, 3 and 4 only (c) 2 and 4 only (d) 1 and 4 only (e) All four

Answer Key

1. (d), All four statements are correct.
2. (e), All four statements are correct.
3. (e), All four statements are correct.
4. (e), All four statements are correct.