Women more connected, child well-being improves: NFHS-6 brings glad tidings

Key points

• India's latest Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) shows that the country's health and social indicators have improved on several fronts between 2019–21 and 2023–24. Covering 6.79 lakh households and 101 indicators, the survey points to significant gains in child immunisation, women's digital access, nutrition outcomes and safety.
• VACCINE WIN One of the most striking improvements is in child immunisation.
• Coverage of the rotavirus vaccine, which protects children against severe diarrhoea, rose from 36.4 to 85.4 per cent.
• It is the largest increase recorded among all childhood vaccines.
• The second dose of the measles vaccine also saw a substantial rise, while overall vaccination coverage among children aged 12–23 months increased.