NFHS-6 shows gains in health indicators but drops key metrics like anaemia and mortality
India's National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) for 2023-24 shows gains in child nutrition, maternal care, institutional births, and women's Internet use. However, its preliminary fact sheet is thinner than NFHS-5, with a net reduction of 30 indicators. Key dropped indicators include anaemia, infant and child mortality, sex ratio at birth, sanitation, and clean cooking fuel use. The removal of anaemia data is attributed to measurement methodology concerns, with future tracking planned through a dedicated Diet and Biomarkers Survey. NFHS-6 introduces new questions on digital literacy and direct benefit transfers, and reintroduces biological HIV testing, while dropping cancer-screening indicators.
Key Points
- NFHS-6 (2023-24) indicates improvements in child nutrition, maternal care, institutional births, and women's Internet use.
- The preliminary fact sheet for NFHS-6 is significantly reduced, omitting 30 key indicators present in previous rounds.
- Notable dropped indicators include anaemia, infant and child mortality, sex ratio at birth, sanitation coverage, and clean cooking fuel use.
- The decision to drop anaemia data is due to concerns about the accuracy of the finger-prick blood sample method used previously, with future tracking planned via a new survey.
- NFHS-6 introduces new data points on digital literacy, direct benefit transfers, and reintroduces biological HIV testing, while removing cancer-screening indicators.
Exam Facts
- NFHS-6 covers 2023-24.
- The Union Health Ministry released the fact sheets on May 29.
- NFHS-6 recorded data from nearly 6.8 lakh households.
- The International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) conducts the survey.
- The Anaemia Mukt Bharat campaign was launched in 2018.
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