NFHS‑6 Shows India’s Gains in Maternal‑Child Health, Immunisation and Nutrition – Key Stats for UPSC

<p>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="National Family Health Survey (NFHS) – a large‑scale, periodic survey that provides data on population, health, nutrition and family welfare; essential for policy planning (GS3: Social Sector)">NFHS‑6</span> covering 6.79 lakh households in 715 districts was released by the <strong>Ministry of Health and Family Welfare</strong> in 2026. The survey compares 2023‑24 data with NFHS‑5 (2019‑21) and highlights progress in maternal‑child health, immunisation, nutrition and financial protection.</p> <h3>Key Developments</h3> <ul> <li>Institutional deliveries rose to <strong>90.6 %</strong> (up from 88.6 %).</li> <li><span class="key-term" data-definition="Antenatal Care (ANC) – health services provided to pregnant women before birth, including check‑ups, supplements and counselling; a core indicator of maternal health (GS3: Health)">ANC</span> coverage increased to <strong>95.9 %</strong>, with first‑trimester visits up to 76.2 %.</li> <li>Full vaccination among children 12‑23 months reached <strong>87.1 %</strong>, and 95.6 % of doses were delivered through public facilities.</li> <li>Rotavirus vaccine coverage jumped from 36.4 % to <strong>85.4 %</strong>.</li> <li>Stunting among under‑five children fell to <strong>29.3 %</strong> and severe wasting to <strong>5.2 %</strong>.</li> <li>Health‑insurance coverage at the household level climbed to <strong>60.2 %</strong>.</li> <li>Women’s internet use rose from 33.3 % to <strong>64.3 %</strong>, and bank‑account ownership increased to 89 %.</li> </ul> <h3>Important Facts</h3> <p>Maternal nutrition improved: iron‑folic acid supplement intake for ≥100 days rose to 54.9 %, and for ≥180 days to 37.8 %. Skilled birth attendance reached 91.3 %, and post‑natal care within two days rose to 85.3 %.</p> <p>Family planning indicators show a stable <span class="key-term" data-definition="Total Fertility Rate (TFR) – average number of children a woman would have over her reproductive life; a TFR of 2.1 is needed for population replacement (GS3: Demography)">TFR</span> of 2.0 and a contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) of 69.1 %.</p> <p>Public health schemes such as <span class="key-term" data-definition="Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) – a cash‑transfer programme to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women (GS4: Social Justice)">JSY</span>, <span class="key-term" data-definition="Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM‑JAY) – a national health insurance scheme covering secondary and tertiary care for vulnerable families (GS3: Health, GS4: Welfare)">PM‑JAY</span> and <span class="key-term" data-definition="POSHAN Abhiyaan – a flagship nutrition programme targeting children, pregnant women and adolescent girls to reduce malnutrition (GS3: Nutrition)">POSHAN Abhiyaan</span> have been instrumental in these gains.</p> <h3>UPSC Relevance</h3> <ul> <li>Understanding NFHS data helps answer GS3 questions on health indicators, SDG progress and policy impact.</li> <li>Maternal‑child health schemes (JSY, PMJAY) illustrate the role of central‑state coordination and fiscal allocation (GS4).</li> <li>Nutrition trends (stunting, wasting) link to SDG‑2 and inform debates on food security and public distribution (GS3).</li> <li>Financial protection through health insurance aligns with universal health coverage goals (GS3, GS4).</li> </ul> <h3>Way Forward</h3> <p>To sustain momentum, the government should strengthen last‑mile delivery, expand digital health tracking, and address emerging challenges such as non‑communicable diseases and rising obesity. Continued convergence of health, nutrition and women‑empowerment programmes will be crucial for meeting SDG targets by 2030.</p>