Infant mortality decreases, sex ratio and vaccine coverage improves
National Family Health Survey reveals that India’s health indicators shows a considerable improvement over the last decade, according to the National Family Health Survey, the Times of India reported. The Survey found that there is a decline in infant mortality, better sex ration and wider vaccine coverage.
The population rate is also showing a positive change and there is also an increase in the number of institutional deliveries.
“The results show that if we invest and design good programs in health, results will follow,” Health Secretary CK Mishra said, the English daily reported.
According to the survey, Haryana projected a commendable change in its sex ratio at birth. During the 2005-06 survey (NFHS3), 762 females were born per 1,000 males in the state and now, in 2014-15 survey, the ratio improved to 836 females per 1,000 males.
However, the sex ratio at birth improved marginally nationally with 919 females born against 1,000 male.
India’s total fertility ratio also declined to 2.2 from 2.7 over last ten years, including closer to the replacement level of 2.1. From NFHS1 to NHFS4, the level declined by 1.2 children per woman and the data shows Uttar Pradesh showcased maximum decline in TFR, which dropped from 2.7 to 1.1 in last eight years.
The survey shows a significant decline in the infant mortality rate as if fell down from 57 per 1,000 lives birth in the third phase to 41 in the fourth phase. There has been a dramatic growth of 40 percentage points from 38.7% in NFHS 3 to 78.9% in NFHS 4 in the institutional deliveries. The immunization coverage across the country also improved to almost 70% of fully immunized children at present from 44% in 2005-06.
Furthermore, percentage of under-weight children declined from 42.5% to 35.7% in eight years and the country recorded a 10 percentage point decline in stunting from 48 per cent during the third phase of the survey to 38.4 in the fourth round.