The Centres National Family Health Survey (2019-21) NFHS-5 has revealed startling statistics showing that prevalence of anaemia has not only increased among children and Women, but has gone up among men as well.
Comparing prevalence of anaemia in NFHS-4 (2015-16) with NFHS-5 (2019-21), the figures shows that in children aged 6-59 months, the prevalence has increased from 58.6% to 67.1%, a massive jump of 8.5%. Despite a lot of programmes launched by the Centre and state governments for improving nutritional levels in children, the prevalence of anaemia has gone up drastically among pre-school children.
In women aged from 15-19 years, anaemia has gone up from 54.1% to 59.1%. The rising prevalence of anaemia in adolescent and young women is a major cause of concern as it increases risks in complication in pregnancies and also it enhances chances of birth of anaemic babies. The NFHS survey further shows that in pregnant women (15-49 years) it rose to 52.2% from 50.4%.
In non-pregnant women (15-49 years) too, it has gone up from 53.2% to 57.2%. While in all women aged 15-49 years, it increased from 53.1% to 57%. Not only in children and pregnant women, prevalence of anaemia has increased among men. In men aged from 15-49 years, its prevalence has increased from 22.7% to 25% and in 15-19 year-old men, it has gone up from 29.2% to 31.1%.