The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) for India presents a mixed yet broadly encouraging picture of public health, according to a report by SBI Research. The survey reveals material progress in key health indicators over the past three years, while emphasizing the need for increased investment in holistic healthcare for children and mothers.
Shorter Survey Cycle Enables Better Tracking
The SBI Research report notes that India has accelerated its survey cycle, moving from decade-long gaps to a fixed three-year interval under the current government. This change allows for clearer tracking of health indicators. The report highlights that India has made faster progress in the latest cycle compared to earlier periods.
Remarkable Reduction in Child Stunting
One of the most significant achievements is the reduction in child stunting. The proportion of stunted children under five years fell to 29.3% in 2023-24 from 35.5% in 2019-21. Vaccination coverage also improved sharply, with 82.6% of children aged 12-23 months now fully vaccinated, up from 76.6% in NFHS-5.
Modest Gains in Underweight and Wasting
However, improvements in underweight and wasting have been more modest. The report argues that nutrition outcomes cannot be addressed through narrow interventions alone. It calls for a holistic approach involving public-private-community partnerships and stronger support systems to improve awareness, supervision, and delivery. States with higher medical and health expenditure tended to see larger reductions in underweight and stunting, though the estimated coefficients were not statistically significant.
Progress in Maternal Healthcare
Among women, the survey shows a strong rise in access to maternal healthcare. Institutional births are now near universal at 90.6%, while the share of mothers with four or more antenatal care visits has climbed to 65.2%. However, the report also highlights a worrying rise in obesity among women, which increased to 30.7% in 2023-24 from 24.0% in NFHS-5.
Fertility and Financial Inclusion
Fertility trends indicate that India's demographic transition is largely mature, with the total fertility rate steady at 2.0. Contraceptive prevalence has improved to 69.1%. Women's financial inclusion has strengthened sharply, with 89.0% now using their own bank or savings account, up from 78.6% in NFHS-5.
The report concludes that India's health gains are real, but future progress will depend on spending more on integrated care for children and mothers, especially as the country faces the dual challenge of persistent undernutrition and rising non-communicable disease risk.
