Infant Mortality Rate Dips, But Child Malnutrition on the Rise in India
Infant Mortality Rate Dips, But Child Malnutrition on the Rise in India
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KOLKATA Food security, early marriages and a family’s purchasing power are cited among the key reasons why child malnutrition is on the rise in India.
While the infant mortality rate for children under age 5 has come down in 18 states and union territories, 16 states recorded an increase in underweight and severely wasted children under 5. The findings are from 22 states and union territories surveyed during the first phase of the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted between July and December with approximately 6.1 million people.
Aanganwadi worker taking a survey PCI
No Big Surprises In Family Health Survey, Feel Experts
The partial survey of 18 state and 5 union territories show a rise in infant malnutrition, and decline in infant mortality
Health and nutrition experts are not surprised or unduly worried by the data culled from the first phase of the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) that covered 18 states and 5 union territories. They point out that there are both positive and negative aspects to the outcomes that have come to the fore, like lowering of under 5 and infant mortality rate (IMR) in 18 states and union territories while underweight and severely wasted malnutrition levels have been risen among under 5 children in 16 of the 18 states covered so far. The complete national survey, expected early next year, will offer a clearer health picture, they say.
IMR improves in India, but malnutrition remains worrying, shows NFHS-5
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The neonatal mortality rate (NMR) slipped in 15 states and UTs in comparison to NFHS-4 (2015-16)
The survey also found considerable improvement in vaccination coverage among children age 12-23 months across all states/UTs
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The Under 5 and infant mortality rate (IMR) has come down in 18 states and union territories but in parallel 16 states recorded an increase in underweight and severely wasted under 5 children among 22 states that were surveyed during the first phase of the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5).
The survey was released by the Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday. Similarly, 13 states and UTs of the 22 surveyed registered a surge in the percentage of stunted children under five years of age in comparison to 2015-16. These states are Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Telangana, Tri