Anaemia remains widespread in the
country as more than half of the children in 10 out of 15 states are
still anaemic, the latest national health survey released by the Union
Health Ministry today said.
The first phase of the National
Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) for 2015-16 which covered 13 states and
two UTs also revealed that more than half of women were also found to be
anaemic in eleven states and UTs.
However on other parameters,
the Union Health Ministry asserted that the findings revealed
"promising" improvements in maternal and child health and nutrition.
The
first phase of the survey included Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Haryana,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana,
Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and two Union Territories of Andaman
and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry.
"Anaemia has also declined
but still remains widespread. More than half of children are anaemic in
ten of the 15 States and UTs. Similarly, more than half of women are
anaemic in eleven states/UTs.
"Over-nutrition continues to be a
health issue for adults. At least 3 in 10 women are overweight or obese
in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Puducherry, and
Tamil Nadu," the survey said.
Noting that poor nutrition is less
common than reported in the last round of the survey, it said that fewer
children under five years of age are now found to be stunted, showing
intake of improved nutrition.
"In nine states/UTs, less than
one-third of children are found too short for their age. While this
reveals a distinct improvement since the previous survey, it is found
that in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya more than 40 per cent of
children are stunted. Wasting is still very high by international
standards in all of the states and UTs," the survey said.
Data
collection for the second phase states and UTs is currently ongoing. The
2015-16 NFHS-4 is the fourth in a series of national surveys.
For
states like Haryana, the sex ratio of the total population (females per
1,000 males) was 876 which was a decline from the last survey where it
stood at 897.
The survey also showed that women in the first phase states and UTs are having fewer children.
"The
total fertility rates or the average number of children per woman,
range from 1.2 in Sikkim to 3.4 in Bihar. All first phase states/UTs
except Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya have either achieved or
maintained replacement level of fertility- a major achievement in the
past decade," it said.
The NFHS-4 said that married women are
less likely to be using modern family planning in eight of the first
phase states/UTs and there has been any increase in the use of modern
family planning methods only in the States of Meghalaya, Haryana, and
West Bengal.
The decline, it said is highest in Goa followed by
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Despite the decline, about half or more
married women are using modern family planning in eight of the 15
states/UTs, it said.
The NFHS-4 results show that in 15 states/UTs fewer children are dying in infancyand early childhood.
"After
the last round of NFHS in 2005-06, infant mortality has declined in all
first phase states/UTs for which trend data are available. All 15
states/UTs have rates below 51 deaths per 1,000 live births, although
there is considerable variation among the states/UTs.
"Infant
mortality rates range from a low of 10 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to
a high of 51 deaths per 1000 live births in Madhya Pradesh," it said.
Noting
that better care for women during pregnancy and childbirth contributes
to reduction of maternal deaths and improved child survival, the latest
survey said that almost all mothers have received antenatal care for
their most recent pregnancy and increasing numbers of women are
receiving the recommended four or more visits by the service providers.
"More
and more women now give birth in health care facilities and rates have
more than doubled in some states in the last decade.
"More than
nine in ten recent births took place in health care facilities in
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Puducherry,
Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, providing safer environments for
mothers and new-borns," it said.
The survey said that full immunisation coverage among children age 12-23 months varies widely in the first phase states and UTs.
"At
least six out of ten children have received full immunisation in 12 of
the 15 states and UTs. In Goa, West Bengal, Sikkim and Puducherry more
than four-fifths of the children have been fully immunised.
"Since the last round of NFHS, the coverage of full immunisation among children has increased substantially," it said.
Noting
that Indian families in the first phase households are more inclined to
use improved water and sanitation facilities, the survey said that over
two-thirds of households in every state and UT have access to an
improved source of drinking water.
Also more than 90 percent households have access to an improved source of drinking water in nine of the 15 states/UTs.
"More
than 50 percent of households have access to improved sanitation
facilities in all first phase except Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
"Use
of clean cooking fuel, which reduces the risk of respiratory illness
and pollution, varies widely among the first phase states/UTs, ranging
from only about 18 per cent of households in Bihar to more than 70
percent of households in Tamil Nadu and more than 80 per cent of
households in Puducherry and Goa," it said.
NFHS-4 is the first
of the NFHS series that collects data in each of India’s 29 States and
all 7 Union Territories and for the first time, will provide estimates
of most indicators at the district level for all 640 districts of the
country included in the 2011 Census.
In NFHS-4, women aged 15-49
years and men aged 15-54 years are interviewed. When the survey is
completed throughout the country, approximately 570,000 households would
be covered for information.