No anaemia data in NFHS fact sheets, officials say report not final

NEW DELHI: The absence of anaemia estimates from the newly released National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6 fact sheets has sparked questions among public health experts. In response, govt has said the indicator was excluded because of concerns over the blood-testing method used in previous survey rounds.

Health ministry officials said haemoglobin testing was not carried out in NFHS-6 due to concerns over the capillary blood sampling method used earlier. Instead, anaemia estimates will come from ICMR’s diet and biomarkers survey, which uses venous blood samples and is expected to provide more accurate results.

The clarification comes amid debate over the absence of several indicators from NFHS-6 fact sheets, which cover 101 key health, nutrition and demographic parameters.

Officials stressed that the fact sheets are only the first stage of data dissemination and not the final NFHS-6 report. A detailed national report, to be released later, will contain additional indicators, analyses and methodological details.

The ministry also rejected claims that key indicators had been dropped. According to officials, some data are being generated through specialised surveys and administrative systems. For example, sanitation and clean cooking fuel coverage are tracked through dedicated surveys, while mortality and birth registration statistics continue to come from systems such as the Sample Registration System and the Civil Registration System.

At the same time, NFHS-6 has added new indicators, including population composition, elderly population share, financial inclusion, antenatal care utilisation, vaccination coverage, severe diarrhoeal disease prevalence and expanded breastfeeding measures.

Officials said detailed family planning indicators, selected child health interventions, women’s health measures and HIV-related findings will be included in the full national report.

The ministry maintained that NFHS remains India’s largest household health survey and continues to be a key source of evidence for health policy and planning.