NFHS Factsheets Exclude Anaemia Data; Officials Clarify Report Is Yet to Be Finalised

Summary:
The Centre has clarified that several indicators missing from the NFHS-6 Fact Sheets, including anaemia and sanitation-related data, have not been discontinued but are being reported through specialised national databases. Officials stressed that the released Fact Sheets are only a preliminary snapshot containing 101 key indicators, while a detailed National Report with additional health, family planning, HIV, and child health data will be published later. The government said the move is part of a broader effort to improve data consistency by assigning indicators to the most appropriate sources. It also noted that NFHS-6 has introduced new measures covering areas such as ageing, financial inclusion, antenatal care, immunisation, and breastfeeding, while reaffirming the survey’s role in supporting evidence-based policymaking. 

The Centre on Sunday clarified that several indicators absent from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6 Fact Sheets have not been removed but are being reported through specialised national databases. It emphasised that the recently released Fact Sheets are only an initial overview and not the final survey report. Responding to concerns regarding missing data on subjects such as anaemia and sanitation, senior Health Ministry officials said the current release includes 101 key indicators and represents the first phase of data dissemination, while a detailed National Report containing a wider set of findings and methodological information will be published later.

The clarification comes as part of the government’s broader effort to streamline India’s statistical ecosystem by assigning different datasets to the most suitable and authoritative data sources.

According to a senior ministry official, the aim is to ensure that each indicator is reported through the most appropriate platform, thereby avoiding duplication and improving consistency across datasets.

Officials noted that information related to sanitation and clean cooking fuel is already collected through dedicated surveys and administrative systems. Similarly, statistics on mortality, birth registration, and population trends continue to be generated through established mechanisms such as the Sample Registration System (SRS), Civil Registration System (CRS), and the Census framework.

Addressing the absence of anaemia-related figures, the ministry stated that haemoglobin testing was not included in NFHS-6 due to concerns about the capillary blood sampling method used in earlier survey rounds. Instead, anaemia estimates will be produced through the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Diet and Biomarkers Survey, which relies on venous blood samples.

The ministry also dismissed claims that the scope of NFHS-6 has been narrowed, highlighting the inclusion of several new indicators in the Fact Sheets. These cover areas such as population structure, elderly demographics, financial inclusion, utilisation of antenatal care services, immunisation coverage, severe diarrhoeal illness prevalence, and expanded breastfeeding measures.

Officials further explained that a number of indicators omitted from the Fact Sheets have been retained for inclusion in the forthcoming National Report. These include more detailed family planning information, specific child health interventions, additional women’s health metrics, and HIV-related data.

Health Ministry sources reiterated that NFHS remains India’s largest household health survey and continues to play a vital role in supporting evidence-based policymaking. They added that the final National Report is being prepared in consultation with technical experts, government departments, and development partners.

Officials stressed that the Fact Sheets represent only the first stage of releasing survey findings and that the comprehensive National Report will offer a far more detailed picture. They maintained that the core objective of NFHS-6 remains unchanged—providing reliable evidence to support improved health outcomes and informed policy decisions.

The ministry also stated that the NFHS questionnaire is periodically updated to reflect emerging policy priorities while maintaining survey quality and reducing the burden on respondents, describing this approach as consistent with international best practices for large-scale household surveys.