Karnataka has made real progress in maternal and child health,according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6). The state hit nearly universal institutional deliveries, with 98.7% of births taking place in health facilities, up from 97% in the last survey. Skilled birth attendance also climbed to 96.6%, jump from 93.8% in NFHS-5.
Improvements in maternal healthcare are clear. The percentage of women getting antenatal care in their first trimester jumped from 71% to 82.4%. The number of mothers attending at least four antenatal check-ups also increased,from 70.9% to 84.5%. Maternal nutrition saw gains too,with pregnant women taking iron and folic acid tablets for at least 100 days nearly doubling from 44.7% to 78.0%. Those on supplements for at least 180 days rose from 26.7% to 66.4%.
Still,child malnutrition is a serious concern. NFHS-6 data shows stunting among kids under five dropped from 35.4% to 26.5%,but wasting only slid slightly from 19.5% to 18.7%. Acute malnutrition remains a tough challenge.
Rajani B.N., State Project Director for Reproductive and Child Health,stressed the need for ongoing monitoring to boost immunization rates. Full immunization for kids aged 12-23 months improved from 84.3% to 90.2%. High rates for individual vaccines were also noted,with 95.6% of kids receiving the measles vaccine. Rajani said, “Every child must be tracked to ensure completion of the vaccination schedule.”
A striking trend in the survey is the rise in caesarean section deliveries,which now make up 45.7% of births in Karnataka, a big jump from 31.5% in NFHS-5. Urban areas reported even higher rates, with 52.6% of births delivered in cities compared to 43.5% in rural regions. In private hospitals, C-sections accounted for 63.8% of deliveries, while public health facilities had a lower rate of 34%.
Exclusive breastfeeding rates among infants under six months saw a slight uptick,from 61% to 61.6%. But feeding practices for young children still need work. Only 14.2% of kids aged six to 23 months received adequate diet, though that’s up from 10.6% in last survey. The percentage of children getting a minimum acceptable diet rose from 12.4% to 18.3%.
Karnataka's achievements in maternal health are commendable,but ongoing issues in child nutrition show more work is needed. The mixed results in nutrition indicators highlight the importance of targeted efforts to tackle both chronic and acute malnutrition among kids. Health officials are focused on ensuring every child gets the care and nutrition they need for healthy growth.
