Experts call for State-specific modules in National Family Health Survey
Experts at a workshop on the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) are calling for state-specific modules to better address regional health concerns. They argue that current national metrics overlook critical issues like infertility, elderly care, and the specific needs of internal migrants.
Why it matters
Tailoring health surveys to regional demographics is essential for creating effective, evidence-based public health policies.
Speakers at a workshop on National Family Health Survey 2023-2024 (NFHS-6) raised the need for State-specific modules in future rounds of the surveys. For Tamil Nadu, they said the survey should cover issues such as infertility, ageing, underweight among children and migration.
S. Irudaya Rajan, chairperson, International Institute for Migration and Development, Thiruvananthapuram, said only 10 of the 101 variables in NFHS-6 are really useful for policy making in Tamil Nadu. Citing Total Fertility Rate (TFR) as an example, he questioned the need to talk about TFR, which stands at 1.7 for Tamil Nadu, instead of talking about infertility.
He raised the need for more research on the nutritional status of children, noting that children under five years who were stunted in Tamil Nadu stood at 20.7%, wasted was 17.4%, and underweight was 23.2%. “One-fourth of children are underweight. Where are we heading?” he asked.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in