Dehradun: Uttarakhand has recorded significant improvement across key indicators related to maternal, neonatal, and child health, as well as nutrition, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6. Officials from the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare highlighted that a comparison between NFHS-5 (2019-21) and NFHS-6 (2023-24) reveals notable gains in early pregnancy registration, antenatal care, institutional deliveries, and child vaccination, as stated by Dr. Sunita Tamta, Director General of the Health Department.
Key Maternal Health Indicators
Registration of pregnant women during the first trimester increased from 68.8% to 80.6%, surpassing the national average of 76.2%. Antenatal care (ANC) coverage rose from 91.8% to 98.3%, while institutional deliveries increased from 83.2% to 88.9%. Deliveries conducted by trained health personnel also went up from 83.7% to 90.3%. Nationally, ANC coverage stood at 95.9% and institutional deliveries at 90.6%.
Postnatal and Child Vaccination
The proportion of newborns receiving postnatal care within two days of birth increased from 78.9% to 86.7%, compared with the national average of 82.8%. Child vaccination coverage rose from 81.1% to 86%, against the national average of 82.6%.
Child Nutrition Improvements
Among children, stunting declined from 27% to 20%, compared with the national average of 24.6%. Wasting reduced from 13.2% to 11%, while severe wasting fell from 4.7% to 2%. The proportion of underweight children dropped from 21% to 19.6%, and overweight children declined from 4.1% to 0.7%. Nationally, wasting stood at 12.3%, severe wasting at 2.7%, underweight children at 23.2%, and overweight children at 1.5%.
Official Statements
Dr. Rashmi Pant, Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), Uttarakhand, stated: "Uttarakhand is consistently working towards ensuring that every pregnant woman receives accessible and quality healthcare services. The positive NFHS-6 findings demonstrate that our health system is moving in the right direction."
