The country has recorded significant improvements in child health indicators, including immunisation coverage and nutritional outcomes, according to the sixth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) for 2023-24 released by the Union Health Ministry on Friday.Findings show improvements in reducing stunting and severe wasting among children under five years of age in India.Child stunting, however, continues to remain a major public health concern. Stunting refers to children being too short for their age due to chronic undernutrition and frequent infections. Severe wasting, defined as very low weight-for-height, significantly increases mortality risks among children.Officials said the Centre’s multi-sectoral efforts to address malnutrition have gained momentum, leading to notable improvements in child nutrition indicators. Stunting among children under five declined from 35.5 per cent in NFHS-5 (2019-21) to 29.3 per cent in NFHS-6 (2023-24), while severe wasting fell sharply from 7.7 per cent to 5.2 per cent.The survey also recorded gains in early breastfeeding practices. The proportion of children under three years breastfed within one hour of birth increased from 41.8 per cent to 50.1 per cent.According to the survey, 95.9 per cent of pregnant women received antenatal care (ANC). Mothers receiving ANC during the first trimester increased from 70 per cent to 76.2 per cent, while those receiving at least four ANC visits rose from 58.5 per cent to 65.2 per cent.“These improvements reflect steady gains achieved over the past decade, driven by robust flagship initiatives of the government implemented in a convergence model with stakeholder ministries, such as the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, to ensure optimal nutrition and build a stronger foundation for India’s children,” a Health Ministry official said.The survey also found a decline in tobacco use among both men and women.However, rising non-communicable diseases remain a major concern. The proportion of obese men aged 15-49 increased from 22.9 per cent in the previous survey to 27.3 per cent in NFHS-6. Among women in the same age group, obesity rose from 24 per cent to 30.7 per cent.The proportion of young women aged 18-29 who experienced sexual violence before the age of 18 declined from 1.2 per cent to 0.7 per cent.Another key highlight was the expansion of health insurance coverage, which increased significantly from 41 per cent to 60.2 per cent at the household level, reflecting the impact of government initiatives aimed at strengthening financial protection in healthcare.India also recorded progress towards universal immunisation coverage. Full vaccination coverage among children aged 12-23 months, based on vaccination cards, increased from 83.8 per cent to 87.1 per cent. Around 95.6 per cent of children received most vaccinations through public health facilities.The survey noted that the proportion of children aged 12-23 months receiving at least one vaccine remained consistently high at above 96 per cent. Significant gains were recorded in specific vaccines, with rotavirus vaccination coverage rising sharply from 36.4 per cent to 85.4 per cent. Coverage of the second dose of the measles-containing vaccine also increased from 58.6 per cent to 71.8 per cent.The NFHS-6 was conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, serving as the nodal agency.Covering nearly 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts, the survey provides crucial data on population, health, nutrition and family welfare indicators, supporting evidence-based planning and programme implementation up to the district level.