Diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol are rising across India, and no longer just in cities. Rural populations are increasingly affected, and the burden appears to be gendered: men face higher rates of diabetes and hypertension, while women are more vulnerable to abdominal obesity. Childhood obesity is also on the rise.
Child nutrition indicators have worsened, with marginal increases in stunting and wasting. There is a rise in institutional deliveries, but also the number of C-section births across urban and rural settings.
On social indicators, more women are completing at least ten years of schooling, and internet use among women has also increased.
Insurance coverage has risen from 41 percent to 60 percent, possibly aided by the government’s Ayushman Bharat policy.
These are some of the key findings of the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS), which covered more than 6.7 lakh households, aiming to provide comprehensive data on national health trends crucial for policymakers.
However, NFHS-6 leaves out at least 43 key indicators, including anaemia, child mortality, sex ratio at birth, sanitation, access to clean cooking fuel, cancer screening, use of contraceptives and HIV awareness. The fact sheet too is shorter than in previous surveys.
As per reports, the government cited “data harmonisation” to explain the omissions. As many indicators are also tracked through separate surveys, estimates often vary due to differences in sampling methods, survey design and data collection techniques. Experts said the government may be seeking to rely on more detailed sources for certain indicators. For instance, the National AIDS Control Organisation’s annual HIV Estimates Report offers comprehensive data on HIV prevalence and the government scheme’s impact.
But, notably, some of the indicators that have been omitted are not tracked in any other survey, and some other indicators that are covered in other surveys continue to be included in the NFHS-6.
This follows a controversy over the data on anaemia that struck NFHS-5 about five years ago. As the report revealed a worsening anaemia crisis – with 67 percent children impacted against 58.6 percent in the previous survey – a nationwide debate began over the effectiveness of the government’s flagship Anaemia Mukt Bharat programme and the data collection methods.
Under its programme launched in 2018, the government provided iron and folic acid supplementation to women and children, promising a significant reduction in anaemia cases. But NFHS-5 showed that besides the rise in cases among children, 57 percent women aged between 15 and 49 years were also affected, while more than half of pregnant women were anaemic.
In NFHS-6, all seven anaemia indicators have been omitted from the factsheet. Likewise, the latest survey does not provide data to assess the progress of central schemes such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Ujjwala Yojana, among others.
Meanwhile, among its other observations, the report noted a decline in exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months after birth. It found that only half of all newborns are breastfed within the first hour of birth, a clinically significant window for immunity transfer. The report further suggested that the rise in C-section deliveries could be linked to personal preferences, pregnancies at later age, higher rates of gestational diabetes, and convenience.
It also reported a decline in hypertension cases despite a rise in other lifestyle diseases.
An observation with significant policy implications was the demographic shift towards an ageing population. This shift from a predominantly young population to a growing elderly one could become a structural challenge, and increase pressure on healthcare infrastructure and social protection systems.
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