NFHS-6 Highlights Progress In Healthcare Access, Nutrition And Women’s Empowerment

India has recorded significant improvements in maternal and child health , nutrition , immunisation coverage , women’s empowerment and financial protection in healthcare , according to the latest findings of the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday.

Conducted during 2023-24 , the survey covered nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts and was carried out by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai , which served as the nodal agency for the ministry. The survey provides key data on population, health, nutrition and family welfare indicators to support evidence-based policymaking and programme implementation across the country.

The report highlighted notable gains in safe motherhood and maternal healthcare services. According to the findings, 95.9 per cent of pregnant women received antenatal care (ANC) , while mothers receiving ANC during the first trimester increased from 70 per cent in NFHS-5 (2019-21) to 76.2 per cent in NFHS-6 .

Similarly, the percentage of mothers receiving at least four ANC visits improved from 58.5 per cent to 65.2 per cent , reflecting stronger continuity of maternal healthcare services.

The survey also showed improvement in institutional childbirth. Institutional deliveries increased from 88.6 per cent to 90.6 per cent, moving India closer towards universal coverage. Births attended by skilled health personnel rose from 89.4 per cent to 91.3 per cent, while postnatal care for newborns within two days of delivery improved significantly from 79.1 per cent to 85.3 per cent.

Maternal nutrition indicators also registered strong gains. Women consuming iron folic acid supplements for 100 days or more during pregnancy increased from 44.1 per cent to 54.9 per cent, while those consuming supplements for 180 days or more rose from 26 per cent to 37.8 per cent.

The ministry attributed these improvements to the strengthening of public healthcare infrastructure and focused implementation of flagship schemes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) , Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) , Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) , Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY 2.0) .

In the area of family planning , India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) remained stable at 2.0 , while the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) increased from 66.7 per cent to 69.1 per cent . The ministry said the improvement reflected better access to family planning services through initiatives such as Mission Parivar Vikas .

India also recorded major gains in child immunisation coverage. Full vaccination coverage among children aged 12-23 months increased from 83.8 per cent to 87.1 per cent . The survey noted that 95.6 per cent of children received most vaccinations through public health facilities , reaffirming public trust in the government healthcare system.

Coverage under the rotavirus vaccine programme more than doubled from 36.4 per cent to 85.4 per cent, while coverage of the second dose of the measles-containing vaccine rose from 58.6 per cent to 71.8 per cent.

The report further showed improvements in child health indicators. The prevalence of symptoms of acute respiratory infection (ARI) among children declined from 2.8 per cent to 1.9 per cent, while severe diarrhoea cases reduced to 0.5 per cent.

NFHS-6 also reflected encouraging progress in child nutrition outcomes. Stunting among children under five years declined substantially from 35.5 per cent to 29.3 per cent, indicating improvement in long-term nutritional outcomes. Severe wasting reduced sharply from 7.7 per cent to 5.2 per cent, while the prevalence of underweight children declined marginally from 32.1 per cent to 31.8 per cent.

Breastfeeding practices also improved significantly. The survey found that 95.6 per cent of children under six months were breastfed , while the percentage of children breastfed within one hour of birth increased from 41.8 per cent to 50.1 per cent . Children aged 6-8 months receiving solid or semi-solid food along with breastmilk also increased from 45.9 per cent to 59.5 per cent .

The ministry said these gains were driven by programmes such as POSHAN Abhiyaan , Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 , along with interventions under the National Health Mission (NHM) , including growth monitoring, nutrition rehabilitation and maternal-child health services.

The survey also highlighted major progress in healthcare affordability and financial security. Household coverage under health insurance and financing schemes increased significantly from 41 per cent to 60.2 per cent , reflecting the expansion of initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) .

NFHS-6 further recorded continued advancement in women’s empowerment , digital inclusion and financial independence. Women who had ever used the internet nearly doubled from 33.3 per cent to 64.3 per cent. Women operating their own bank or savings accounts increased from 78.6 per cent to 89 per cent, while women owning and using mobile phones rose from 53.9 per cent to 63.6 per cent.

The use of hygienic menstrual protection methods among women aged 15-24 years also improved from 77.6 per cent to 79.2 per cent , supported by initiatives under the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) and the availability of affordable sanitary products through the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana .

At the same time, the report cautioned that emerging challenges such as rising non-communicable diseases , lifestyle-related risks and the dual burden of undernutrition and obesity among adults require continued attention through preventive healthcare measures and behavioural change initiatives.

The ministry said the findings reaffirm India’s steady progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthening inclusive healthcare delivery across the country.