What is lost and gained in NFHS-6, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) preliminary fact sheet for 2023-24 was released on May 29, covering 6.8 lakh households across all States and Union Territories except Manipur.
• NFHS-6 shows gains in child nutrition, maternal care, institutional births, and women's Internet use.
• The survey recorded a net reduction of 30 indicators, with 43 indicators dropped and 13 new ones added, marking a significant shift from previous additive surveys.
• Key indicators removed include anaemia, mortality (neonatal, infant, under-five), sex ratio at birth, sanitation, and clean cooking fuel.
• New additions include questions on direct benefit transfers, self-help group memberships, digital literacy, financial transactions, and testing for Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C.

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Detailed Insights:

• The Union Health Ministry commissions the NFHS, with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) conducting the survey.
• The removal of the anaemia indicator is attributed to concerns over its measurement methodology, as NFHS used finger-prick blood samples which researchers believe overstated prevalence.
• Anaemia will now be tracked separately by a dedicated Diet and Biomarkers Survey in India, launched in December 2022 by the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, using venous blood samples for more accurate data.
• Other dropped indicators like mortality rates will be tracked by the Sample Registration System, though it lacks district-level data and socio-economic breakdowns provided by NFHS.
• The absence of sanitation coverage and clean cooking fuel use indicators removes direct measures of the success of government initiatives like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
• NFHS-6 reported a decline in spousal violence to 22.3% from 29.3% and a significant drop in child stunting by over six percentage points.
• The survey also noted declines in exclusive breastfeeding among infants under six months and the use of modern contraception.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National Family Health Survey (NFHS): A large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India, providing data on health and family welfare.
• Indicators: Specific, measurable variables used to track progress, identify trends, and assess the status of health, social, or economic conditions.
• Anaemia Mukt Bharat Campaign: A flagship program launched in 2018 by the Government of India to reduce the prevalence of anaemia across various demographics.
• Diet and Biomarkers Survey in India: A specialized survey designed to collect detailed dietary intake data and biological markers to assess nutritional status more accurately.