Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana were among states that recorded the sharpest increases in the proportion of underweight children under 5 years of age between NFHS-5 (2019-21) and NFHS-6 (2023-24), according to an SBI Research analysis of National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6 data.While the national prevalence of underweight children declined marginally from 32.1% in 2019-21 to 31.8% in 2023-24, Punjab saw the figure rise from 16.9% to 23.7%. Haryana recorded an increase from 21.5% to 28.9%. The report noted that Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan registered increases of more than 5 percentage points in the share of underweight children compared to NFHS-5. In contrast, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Karnataka recorded declines of more than 5 percentage points during the same period. An equally concerning trend was observed in wasting, a key indicator of acute malnutrition. Despite remaining below the national average, Punjab recorded the highest increase among the major states analysed in the report, with the proportion of wasted children rising from 10.6% in NFHS-5 to 18% in NFHS-6, an increase of 7.4 percentage points. Haryana also recorded a significant increase from 11.5% to 16.6%, up by 5.1 percentage points. By comparison, the national prevalence of wasting remained broadly unchanged, declining marginally from 19.3% to 19.0%. The report observed that while several states with wasting levels below the national average registered improvements, Punjab and Haryana moved in the opposite direction. Maharashtra, Keralam, Telangana and Gujarat recorded declines of more than 4 percentage points in wasting levels. The report also pointed to a growing burden of lifestyle-related health risks among women in Punjab. According to NFHS-6, 44.7% of women aged 15-49 in Punjab were classified as overweight or obese, significantly higher than the national average of 30.7% and also above Haryana’s 37.3%. Punjab also recorded higher-than-average levels of blood sugar risk among women at 21.3%, compared with the national average of 17.8%. Haryana reported a blood sugar risk prevalence of 16.7%. Similarly, Punjab’s blood pressure risk among women stood at 24.5%, compared with 19.4% nationally, while Haryana reported 16.7%. At the same time, Punjab reported a lower prevalence of low body mass index (BMI) among women at 14.2%, compared with 19.7% nationally and 17.2% in Haryana. The findings highlight a double burden of nutrition, where undernutrition persists alongside rising obesity and related health risks. The survey also flagged a unique trend in Punjab relating to child marriage. While the national proportion of women aged 20-24 married before the age of 18 declined from 23.3% in NFHS-5 to 20.1% in NFHS-6, Punjab was the only state highlighted in the analysis where the indicator worsened. In Punjab, the share increased from 8.7% to 10.2%, whereas Haryana recorded a slight improvement from 12.5% to 11.9%. Despite the increase, Punjab’s level remained substantially below the national average. The report also compared public health spending across states. Punjab’s medical and health expenditure as a percentage of gross state domestic product (GSDP) remained virtually unchanged at 0.67% in 2023-24, compared with 0.66% in 2016-17. Haryana increased its spending from 0.52% to 0.74% during the same period. Among major states, Odisha reported the highest health expenditure at 1.93% of GSDP in 2023-24, followed by Uttarakhand at 1.39%. The report noted that while some states spend close to 2% of GSDP on health, others continue to spend around 0.5%. MSID:: 131908975 413 |
