The NFHS-6 report shows India’s accelerated progress in maternal and child health. Key improvements include higher vaccination coverage (95.6% at public facilities), increased institutional deliveries (90.6%), and better child nutrition outcomes.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) released the National Family Health Survey – 6, here today, with the data reflecting India’s “accelerated progress” in maternal and child health, nutrition and financial protection and that 95.6% children received most vaccinations through public health facilities as the preferred choice.
The NFHS-6 was conducted during 2023-24 by the MoHFW with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, as the nodal agency.
Covering nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts, the survey provides vital evidence on population, health, nutrition and family welfare indicators and supports evidence-based planning and programme implementation up to the district level.
According to the survey findings, India has recorded notable progress in health, nutrition, and social development indicators, reflecting the impact of sustained policy interventions and focused implementation of flagship programmes.
Significant Gains in Maternal and Child Healthcare
An official release said that NFHS-6 highlights significant improvements in maternal and child healthcare services across the country. It said 95.9% of pregnant women received antenatal care (ANC), while mothers receiving ANC in the first trimester increased from 70.0% to 76.2%. Mothers receiving at least four ANC visits also increased from 58.5% to 65.2%, reflecting stronger continuity of maternal healthcare services.
Institutional deliveries increased from 88.6% to 90.6%, moving India closer towards universal coverage.
“Births attended by skilled health personnel improved from 89.4% to 91.3%, while postnatal care for newborns by Doctor/Nurse/Lady Health Visitor (LHV)/Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM)/Midwife/other health personnel within two days of delivery improved from 79.1% to 85.3%.”
Improved Maternal Nutrition
Maternal nutrition indicators also showed notable improvement. Mothers consuming iron folic acid supplements for 100 days or more during pregnancy increased from 44.1% to 54.9%, while those consuming supplements for 180 days or more rose from 26.0% to 37.8%.
“These gains reflect strengthened public health infrastructure and improved access to maternal and child healthcare services across the country, driven by focused implementation of initiatives such as Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA/e-PMSMA), Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN), Facility Based New-born Care, Home-Based Newborn Care, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY 2.0),” the release said.
“These programmes have enhanced antenatal and postnatal care coverage, ensured quality care during pregnancy and childbirth and promoted safe motherhood and child health practices,” it added.
Family Planning and Immunization Progress
In terms of family planning improvements, India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) remains at 2.0. The Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) increased from 66.7% to 69.1%, with focus on well-being of mother and child, thus showing improved access to family planning services to those who need.
“These improvements underscore the continued impact of national family planning programmes, including Mission Parivar Vikas,” the release said.
Universal Immunization Coverage
The release said that India continues to make strong progress towards universal immunization coverage. “Full vaccination coverage among children age 12-23 months based on vaccination cards, increased from 83.8% to 87.1%. 95.6% of children received most vaccinations through public health facilities reaffirming the trust of community towards public healthcare system,” the release said.
“Any vaccine received by children age 12-23 months remains consistently high above 96%, while substantial improvement has been recorded across major vaccines. Substantial increase has been recorded in rotavirus vaccination coverage from 36.4% to 85.4%. Coverage of the second dose of measles-containing vaccine also increased significantly from 58.6% to 71.8%,” the release added.
Improvements in Child Health Indicators
The survey also recorded improvements in key child health indicators. Prevalence of symptoms of acute respiratory infection (ARI) among children declined from 2.8% to 1.9%, while prevalence of severe diarrhoea also declined to 0.5%.
“These gains reflect strengthened last-mile service delivery by dedicated frontline health workers enhanced cold chain infrastructure, digital tracking systems such as U-WIN and active community engagement under India’s Universal Immunization Programme and other public health programmes,” the release said.
Encouraging Progress in Child Nutrition
NFHS-6 indicated encouraging progress in child nutrition outcomes. It said 95.6% of children under six months of age were found to be breastfed during survey period. Further percentage of children under age three years breastfed within one hour of birth increased by nearly 10 percent points from 41.8% to 50.1%.
Stunting (low height for age) among children under five years declined substantially from 35.5% to 29.3%, reflecting improvement in long-term nutritional outcomes. The marked reduction in stunting prevalence provides strong evidence of improvement in long-term nutritional transition and child health outcomes in India. Severe wasting (too thin for one’s height) declined sharply from 7.7% to 5.2%, while underweight prevalence in under five children also registered a marginal decline from 32.1% to 31.8%.
Improvement was also observed in infant and young child feeding practices. Children age 6-8 months receiving solid or semi-solid food along with breastmilk increased from 45.9% to 59.5%.
“These gains are driven by convergent efforts across Ministries through flagship initiatives such as POSHAN Abhiyaan and Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0, supported by strengthened service delivery under ICDS. Complementary interventions under the National Health Mission (NHM), including maternal and child health services, Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs), Mother’s Absolute Affection (MAA), Infant and Young Child Feeding, Iron and folic acid supplementation and growth monitoring have further contributed to improved outcomes,” the release said.
Expansion of Health Insurance Coverage
It said that Health insurance/financing scheme coverage has expanded significantly from 41.0% to 60.2% at the household level, reflecting the success of government-led initiatives aimed at strengthening financial protection in healthcare. Flagship schemes such as Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) have played a pivotal role in increasing access to affordable healthcare services, particularly for vulnerable populations. This expansion marks a critical step towards universal health coverage and equitable access to quality healthcare services across the country.
Advancements in Women’s Empowerment
Digital and Financial Inclusion
NFHS-6 recorded continued advancement in women’s digital inclusion and financial empowerment. Women who had ever used the internet nearly doubled from 33.3% to 64.3%. Women having a bank or savings account that they themselves use increased from 78.6% to 89.0%, and women having a mobile phone that they themselves use rose from 53.9% to 63.6%, the release said.
Menstrual Hygiene
The use of hygienic methods of menstrual protection among women age 15-24 years has increased from 77.6% to 79.2%, supported by initiatives such as the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS) within the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) and the affordable sanitary products under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana. These initiatives have enhanced awareness, accessibility, and adoption of safe menstrual hygiene practices in the nation.
Conclusion: India on Track for SDGs
The release said that NFHS-6 provides critical evidence for programme implementation and policymaking across health and social sectors. The findings reflect steady gains in maternal and child health, nutrition, women’s empowerment and access to essential services. At the same time, emerging challenges such as rising non-communicable diseases, lifestyle-related risks and the dual burden of undernutrition and rising overweight/obesity among adults highlight the need for continued focus on preventive healthcare, behavioural change and balanced nutrition strategies.
“Overall, the findings reaffirm India’s steady progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With continued emphasis on convergence, last-mile delivery and inclusive growth, India is well-positioned to sustain these gains and further improve the health and well-being of its population,” the release said. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)