Kohima: Nagaland has achieved significant progress in child nutrition, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6). Data shows a consistent decline in all major measures of undernutrition for children under five, with the state performing better than national averages across every category.
Chronic undernutrition, measured as stunting, fell to 25.1 percent from 32.7 percent in the previous survey. Indicators for acute undernutrition showed even sharper declines, as wasting dropped from 19.1 percent to 8.9 percent. The rate of severe wasting was nearly halved to 4.1 percent, and the proportion of underweight children fell significantly from 26.2 percent to 12.2 percent.
Despite these gains, the quality of diets for infants and young children remains a primary concern. The survey reported that only 18 percent of children aged 6-23 months receive an adequate diet. While this is an improvement from the 12.6 percent recorded in the previous survey, health officials acknowledge that gaps persist. Regarding the dietary findings, the report noted: "Only 18% of children aged 6-23 months were reported to be receiving an adequate diet, although this marked an improvement from 12.6% in NFHS-5."
The survey data also highlighted disparities between rural and urban areas, where 20 percent of rural children met dietary adequacy standards compared to 12.8 percent in urban centers. Additionally, the prevalence of childhood obesity saw a slight increase to 6.2 percent. Broader health metrics among adults revealed a mix of underweight individuals and a rising trend of overweight or obese populations, with 17.2 percent of women and 23.7 percent of men falling into the latter category.
Other health outcomes for children showed positive trends, including a decline in diarrhea and acute respiratory infections. Simultaneously, medical care-seeking for fevers and respiratory issues rose to 34 percent. The report also identified hypertension as a health factor for adults, affecting 23.7 percent of women and 28.7 percent of men across the state.
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