The recently released National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6, 2023–24) highlights important trends in menstrual hygiene management and child nutrition in India. While the survey indicates continued progress in the use of period products and improvements in several child nutrition indicators, it also reveals persistent regional disparities, slowing progress, and emerging concerns regarding infant feeding practices.
India has spent the last decade prioritising menstrual health through initiatives such as free sanitary pad distribution schemes, school WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) programmes, and awareness campaigns under the National Health Mission. The underlying objective has been to ensure that a girl's access to safe menstrual hygiene is not determined by her place of birth or socio-economic status.NFHS-6 data indicates that the percentage of women aged 15–24 years using period products increased from 77.3% in NFHS-5 to 79.2% in NFHS-6. However, this increase of 1.9 percentage points over approximately four years is significantly lower than the improvement recorded in the previous survey cycle.The survey reveals a complex pattern of development. Several historically poorer States that started from a lower baseline have recorded rapid improvements, suggesting that targeted interventions are producing results. At the same time, some previously high-performing States have experienced stagnation or decline. A notable concern is the persistence of a rural menstrual hygiene deficit, including in some of India's wealthiest States, indicating that economic prosperity alone does not automatically ensure equitable access.These findings suggest that future policy efforts must increasingly focus on last-mile delivery, behavioural awareness, affordability, and rural accessibility rather than merely expanding overall coverage.
NFHS-6 presents a mixed picture regarding child nutrition.The proportion of children aged 6–23 months receiving an adequate diet increased from 11% in NFHS-5 to 15.3% in NFHS-6. Although this represents progress, it also indicates that a vast majority of Indian toddlers continue to miss the diverse and nutritionally balanced diets required for healthy physical and cognitive development.Experts note that many children may receive sufficient calories but continue to suffer from deficiencies in proteins, micronutrients, and nutrient-rich foods, limiting the developmental benefits of available nutrition programmes.
One of the most concerning findings is the decline in exclusive breastfeeding among infants below six months of age.The percentage declined from 63.7% in NFHS-5 to 55.8% in NFHS-6.Exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months is universally recommended because breast milk provides:
Experts have linked this decline to several factors, including:
NFHS-6 also records encouraging improvements in complementary feeding practices.The proportion of children aged 6–8 months receiving solid or semi-solid food along with breast milk increased from 45.9% to 59.5%.This indicates greater awareness regarding the importance of introducing complementary foods at the appropriate age while continuing breastfeeding.
Comparison between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6 shows measurable improvement in several undernutrition indicators:
| Indicator | NFHS-5 | NFHS-6 |
|---|---|---|
| Stunting (Low Height for Age) | 35.5% | 32.3% |
| Wasting (Low Weight for Height) | 19.3% | 16.3% |
| Severe Wasting | 7.7% | 5.7% |
| Underweight Children | 32.1% | 29.2% |
These improvements indicate progress in maternal and child health interventions, although the scale of undernutrition remains substantial.
The findings also reflect India's continuing double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition coexists with emerging nutrition-related health challenges.The data suggests that improvements are occurring, but not at a pace sufficient to eliminate nutritional vulnerabilities among children.A stronger focus on dietary diversity, maternal nutrition, breastfeeding support systems, and nutrition-sensitive public health interventions remains essential.
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted across India to provide information on:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the age group of 6–24 months represents a critical window for:
During this period, breast milk alone becomes insufficient and must be supplemented with safe and nutritious complementary foods while breastfeeding continues.