Total Fertility Rate declines to 2, over half women and children found anaemic- Here are the top 6 NFHS-5 phase 2 findings

The phase two findings of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) found that Total Fertility Rate (TFR), the average number of children per woman, has further declined from 2.2 to 2.0 at the national level.

The Central government on Wednesday (November 24) released the findings of key indicators on population, reproductive and child health, family welfare, nutrition and others for India as well as 14 states and UTs, combined under phase two, of the 2019-21 NFHS-5.

The data of phase one and phase two of the NHFS-5 were used to calculate findings at the national level. Notedly, the findings of phase one of the NFHS-5 for 22 states and UTs were released in December 2020.

Here are the top findings of the NFHS-5 survey

1. Anaemia among children and women is a major concern, with more than half of them being found anaemic in 14 states and UTs. More than half of the children and women (including pregnant women) are anaemic in all the phase two states and UTs and all-India level compared to NFHS-4, the findings said.

2. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has further declined from 2.2 to 2.0 at the national level and in all 14 states and UTs. All phase two states have achieved replacement level of fertility (2.1), except Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, the survey said.

3. Women’s empowerment indicators show considerable improvement at all-India level and across all 14 states and UTs. “Significant progress has been recorded between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 with respect to women operating bank accounts from 53 per cent to 79 per cent at all-India level”, it said.

4. Child nutrition indicators portrayed a marginal improvement at all-India level as stunting declined from 38 per cent to 36 per cent, wasting from 21 per cent to 19 per cent and underweight from 36 per cent to 32 percent.

5. Full immunisation drive among children aged 12-23 months has shown substantial improvement from 62 per cent to 76 per cent at all-India level. Out of 14 states and UTs have more than three-fourth of children aged 12-23 months with full immunisation and it is the highest for Odisha at 90 per cent, the statement said.

6. Overall Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) has seen an increase from 54 per cent to 67 per cent at the nationwide level and in almost all phase two states and UTs, with the exception of Punjab. As per the syrvey, the use of modern methods of contraceptives has also increased in almost all states and UTs.

According to a Health Ministry statement, the states and UTs which were surveyed in this phase were Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, NCT of Delhi, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.