National Family Health Survey - 5 (NFHS-5) UPSC

Highlights :

Ministry : Minister of Health and Family Welfare,

Nodal Agency : International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai

Key indicators on Population,

Reproductive and Child Health,

Family Welfare,

Nutrition and others for 22 States/UTs of the First Phase of the 2019-20 NFHS-5.

Released on 12th December, 2020 (on Universal Health Coverage Day)

Track progress for SDGs

What is the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) ?

• The NFHS is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India.

• The four rounds of NFHS (1992-93, 1998-99, 2005-06 and 2015-16) have been successfully completed in India. 

• All the rounds of NFHS have been conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, as the national nodal agency.

• The survey provide key indicators on family planning, infant and child mortality, the practice of family planning, maternal and child health, reproductive health, nutrition, etc.

Objective :

The NFHS is to provide reliable and comparable database on health, family welfare and other emerging issues.

NFHS-5 (Phase-I) :

• It capture 22 States/UTs health data before the COVID Pandemic.

• The cover 22 States/UTs are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, West Bengal, Andaman Nicobar Island, Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Lakshadweep 

• The fieldwork in the remaining 14 States/UTs (Phase II) is currently under progress.

About NFHS-5 :

• It conducted in around 6.1 lakh sample households to provide disaggregated data up to district levels. 

• The various indicators of the survey will help track progress of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country.

• Many indicators of NFHS-5 are similar to those of NFHS-4.

• NFHS-5 include -

+ Fertility

+Infant and child mortality

+ Child immunization

+ Components of Micro-nutrients to children

+ Menstrual hygiene

+ Anemia

+ Family Planning

+ Frequency of alcohol and tobacco use

+ Additional components of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)

+ Expended age ranges for measuring hypertension and diabetes among all

Positive Sides of the NFHS-5 :

• The Total Fertility Rates (TFR) has declined in almost States and UTs. The fertility (2.1) has been achieved 19 out of the 22 States/UTs.

• Use of modern methods of contraception has also increased in almost all States/UTs.

• India's population is stabilizing.

• Full immunization drive among children aged 12-23 months has recorded substantial improvement across State/UTs/districts.

• Institutional birth delivery is over 90% in 14 out of the total 22 States and UTs.

• There has also been a substantial increase in C-section deliveries in many States/UTs especially in private health facilities.

• There is increase in the percent of women receiving the recommended four or more ANC visits by health providers in many States/UTs.

• The percentage of households with improved sanitation facilities and clean fuel for coocking has increased in almost all the 22 States/UTs.

• Women's empowerment indicators portray considerable improvement across all the States/UTs included in Phase I.

• Substantial improvement in maternal and child health indicators as compare to NFHS-4 (2015-16).

Nagetive Sides of the NFHS-5 :

• Sex Ratio at has remained unchanged or increased in most States/UTs. 

• There has been an increase in Child stunting and Child wasting in most of the States/UTs.

• Child nutrition is a big reason to worry.

• Anemia among women and children continue to be a cause of concern. More than half of the children and women are anaemic in 13 of the 22 States/UTs.

• The blood glucose levels in Men slightly higher than women. It is varied around high and very high glucose levels.

• Female sterilisation continue to dominate in number of States.

• Male engagement in family planning continue to be limited and disappointing as seen by the low uptake of condoms and male sterilisation across the States.

• There has been an increase in child marriages in Tripura, Manipur and Assam.

• Sexual violence has increased in five States (Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Meghalaya and West Bengal), as per the data.

• The increase in average out of pocket expenditure (OOPE) per delivery in public facilities in some States.

• According to survey there is disparity between men and women in access to the Internet. Sikkim is the only state where access among men (78.2%) and women (76.7%) is almost equal.

These data generated under NFHS-5 will be utilised to track the progress of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It would enable the government and the stakeholders to arrive at informed decision-making and policy interventions related to areas of health, population resources, and nutrition levels of women and children, and help in taking corrective measures and policy decisions in the right direction.

References 

Pib

E-book

MoFHW

The Hindu