Nearly six out of every 10 births in Telangana are now being delivered through Caesarean section, the highest rate recorded in the country.
This was revealed in the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The survey found that 98.8 per cent of births in Telangana take place in health institutions, much higher than the national average of 90.6 per cent. At the same time, 62.2 per cent of births in the state are delivered through Caesarean section, more than double the national average of 27.2 per cent.
The NFHS-6 findings show that Telangana’s Caesarean section rate has increased from 60.7 per cent recorded during NFHS-5 (2019-21) to 62.2 per cent in the latest survey. No other state or union territory in the NFHS-6 fact sheets recorded a higher proportion of Caesarean deliveries.
Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh recorded the second-highest Caesarean section rate in the country at 52.2 per cent, while Nagaland reported one of the lowest rates at 13.2 per cent.
Also read: Andhra Pradesh C-section rate soars 56 pc, four times WHO limit
According to the survey, 83.9 per cent of births in private health facilities in Telangana were delivered through Caesarean section. The national average for private hospitals stood at 54.1 per cent. Government facilities in Telangana also reported a C-section rate of 48.1 per cent, nearly three times the national average of 16.9 per cent for public hospitals.
Maternal healthcare indicators in Telangana continue to remain stronger than national averages. According to the survey, 89.6 per cent of mothers in Telangana registered for antenatal care (ANC) during the first trimester of pregnancy compared with 76.2 per cent nationally. Nearly all mothers in the State, 99.2 per cent, received antenatal care during pregnancy, while 80.3 per cent had at least four antenatal care visits. Nationally, 95.9 per cent of mothers received antenatal care and only 65.2 per cent completed four antenatal visits.
Telangana also reported better coverage of iron and folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. While 81 per cent of mothers in Telangana consumed iron and folic acid tablets for at least 100 days, the national average stood at 54.9 per cent. Similarly, 55.7 per cent of mothers in Telangana consumed the supplements for at least 180 days compared with 37.8 per cent nationally.
The state has also recorded improvements in several child health indicators. Postnatal care within two days of birth was received by 92.3 per cent of mothers and 93 per cent of newborns. Childhood illness indicators showed improvement, with diarrhoea prevalence among children under five years of age falling to 4.5 per cent and symptoms of acute respiratory infection declining to 0.4 per cent.
Nutrition indicators among children have also improved. Stunting among children under five years declined from 33.1 per cent in NFHS-5 to 27 per cent while wasting was reduced from 21.7 per cent to 16.9 per cent. Underweight prevalence fell from 31.8 per cent to 27.8 per cent.
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