Key health and population indicators, anaemia data: What went missing from NFHS-6 findings

📌 Summary:

• NFHS-6 fact sheet records several gains: rise in health insurance cover, internet/mobile use by women, key vaccine coverage — but the omissions are drawing criticism
• Number of key indicators dropped from 131 in NFHS-5 to 101 in NFHS-6; population-level data, women's and children's health, family planning, and Central scheme metrics (Swachh Bharat, Ujjwala) were excluded despite being asked during the survey
• Health Ministry sources call it "data harmonisation" — to avoid contradiction with other government surveys (e.g., TFR reported as 2.0 in NFHS vs 1.9 in SRS led to confusion on whether population is stable or declining; replacement-level TFR = 2.1)
• Vital statistics now sourced elsewhere: SRS provides sex ratio at birth (current: 918 girls per 1,000 boys), neonatal/infant/under-5 mortality; CRS reports show 95% of births and 92% of deaths registered
• Sanitation & fuel indicators (Ujjwala LPG, Swachh Bharat toilet access) — moved to National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) reports; access to improved drinking water/mobile-internet retained in NFHS-6
• Health programmes: HIV data now in national HIV Estimates; immunisation coverage in WHO portal — but contraceptive type, family planning counselling, ORS/Zinc for diarrhoea, and per-delivery out-of-pocket expense NOT replicated anywhere → genuine information gaps
• Cancer screening data also missing — even though questions were asked in the survey
• Bigger concern: while "harmonisation" justifies some omissions, several questions on access to care now have NO alternative source — undermining evidence-based health policy

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 Governance & Social Justice (data systems for health policy; SRS, CRS, NSSO, NFHS interaction); GS2 Health (programme monitoring & evaluation challenges).

📝 Prelims Facts:

• NFHS-6 indicators: 101 (down from 131 in NFHS-5)
• NFHS conducted by MoHFW through IIPS Mumbai
• TFR (NFHS-6): 2.0; SRS: 1.9; replacement level: 2.1
• SRS sex ratio at birth: 918 girls per 1,000 boys
• CRS: 95% of births and 92% of deaths registered
• Ujjwala Yojana target: 1.6 crore LPG connections for clean cooking fuel
• Swachh Bharat Mission: open-defecation free, access to toilets
• Data sources for vital statistics: SRS (Sample Registration System), CRS (Civil Registration System), NSSO, NFHS

🔑 Key Term: Total Fertility Rate (TFR) — the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime; the "replacement level" TFR of 2.1 indicates the rate at which a generation exactly replaces itself; below this, population eventually declines absent migration.