COVERAGE OF NUTRITION AND HEALTH INTERVENTIONS IN TAMIL NADU: INSIGHTS FROM THE NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY-4

Click here to download PDF

In the recently concluded National Nutrition Month, nation-wide activities were organized under POSHAN Abhiyaan to address the nutritional challenges in India. We present this Data Note that describes the coverage of a set of key nutrition and health interventions in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The findings here are based on data from the National Family Health Survey 2015-2016.

Nutrition-specific interventions are aimed at improving the proximal food, health, and care environment for women and children during the first 1000 days. These interventions span pregnancy, postnatal, and early childhood periods and include food and micronutrient supplementation, nutrition education and/or counselling, growth monitoring and promotion, as well as routine immunization, deworming, and care during illness. They can help improve maternal and child health, improve diets and other nutrition practices, and reduce infections.

Findings of this Data Note reveal that Tamil Nadu has a fairly high coverage of interventions before and during pregnancy, like meeting the demand for family planning , iodized salt, any antenatal care (ANC) visits, at least 4 ANC visits, mother and child protection (MCP) cards, iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation, and weighing. However, the state should focus efforts on increasing coverage of some early childhood interventions, like IFA supplementation, zinc during diarrhea, and counselling on child growth after weighing. For deeper insights into the coverage of key nutrition and health interventions in Tamil Nadu, with district-wise status, please download this Data Note on "Coverage of Nutrition and Health Interventions in TAMIL NADU: Insights from the National Family Health Survey-4".