Institutional Deliveries Cross 90%, Full Child Vaccination Coverage Reaches 87.1%
New Delhi: India has registered significant progress in maternal and child healthcare, family planning, immunisation, and nutrition, according to the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on May 29, 2026. The survey highlights improved healthcare access and stronger public health outcomes across the country.
Conducted during 2023-24, NFHS-6 covered nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts. The survey was carried out by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, serving as the nodal agency. The findings provide crucial data for health, nutrition, population, and family welfare planning at both national and district levels.
Maternal and Child Healthcare Indicators Show Strong Improvement
The survey recorded substantial improvements in maternal healthcare services. Around 95.9% of pregnant women received antenatal care (ANC), while first-trimester ANC registration increased from 70.0% in NFHS-5 to 76.2% in NFHS-6. The percentage of women receiving at least four ANC visits also rose from 58.5% to 65.2%.
Institutional deliveries increased from 88.6% to 90.6%, bringing India closer to universal coverage. Births attended by skilled health personnel improved from 89.4% to 91.3%, while postnatal care for newborns within two days of delivery increased significantly from 79.1% to 85.3%.
Maternal Nutrition Improves Across the Country
Maternal nutrition indicators also witnessed notable gains. The percentage of mothers consuming iron-folic acid supplements for 100 days or more during pregnancy increased from 44.1% to 54.9%. Those consuming supplements for 180 days or more rose from 26.0% to 37.8%.
Officials attributed these improvements to the successful implementation of key government initiatives, including Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), SUMAN, Facility-Based Newborn Care, Home-Based Newborn Care, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY 2.0).
Family Planning Services Witness Positive Growth
India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) remained stable at 2.0, indicating sustained population stabilization efforts. The Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) increased from 66.7% to 69.1%, reflecting better access to family planning services and greater awareness among couples.
The Ministry credited national initiatives such as Mission Parivar Vikas for expanding family planning services and improving reproductive health outcomes.
Child Immunisation Coverage Reaches New High
The NFHS-6 report highlighted significant achievements under India’s Universal Immunisation Programme. Full vaccination coverage among children aged 12-23 months increased from 83.8% to 87.1%.
Public healthcare facilities continued to play a crucial role, with 95.6% of children receiving vaccinations through government health centres. Coverage for at least one vaccine remained above 96%.
Among individual vaccines, rotavirus vaccination coverage recorded a remarkable jump from 36.4% to 85.4%, while coverage of the second dose of the measles-containing vaccine increased from 58.6% to 71.8%.
Child Health Indicators Show Continued Progress
The survey also reported improvements in child health outcomes. The prevalence of acute respiratory infection (ARI) symptoms among children declined from 2.8% to 1.9%. Cases of severe diarrhoea also decreased to 0.5%, indicating better disease prevention and healthcare access.
Health experts noted that enhanced cold-chain infrastructure, digital platforms such as U-WIN, improved last-mile healthcare delivery, and the efforts of frontline health workers have contributed significantly to these achievements.
NFHS-6 Reflects Impact of Government Health Programmes
The NFHS-6 findings underline the positive impact of sustained investments in healthcare infrastructure, maternal and child welfare programmes, immunisation campaigns, and community-based health interventions. The report provides valuable evidence for future policymaking and highlights India’s continued progress toward achieving key public health and nutrition goals.
