IMPROVEMENT IN INDIA’S SEX RATIO

Prelims level : Health Mains level : GS-II Issues Relating to Development & Management of Health Sector
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Why in News?

  • According to the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence’s (CBHI) National Health Profile (NHP) 2019, India has registered an improved sex ratio and a decline in birth and death rates.

About CBHI:

  • Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), established in 1961, is the health intelligence wing of the Directorate General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare with the vision to have “A strong Health Management Information System in entire country”.
  • This national institution is headed by a SAG level medical officer with specialization in public health administration of Central health services (CHS), supported by officers from Indian Statistical Services as well as CHS and through its six field survey and training units.

Key Statistics:

  • India has registered an improved sex ratio and a decline in birth and death rates with non-communicable diseases dominating over communicable in the total disease burden of the country.
  • As per the NHP, sex ratio (number of females per 1,000 males) in the country has improved from 933 in 2001 to 943 in 2011. In rural areas the sex ratio has increased from 946 to 949.
  • Kerala has recorded the highest sex ratio in respect of total population (1,084), rural population (1,078) and urban (1,091).
  • The lowest sex ratio in rural areas has been recorded in Chandigarh (690).
  • The report also showed that the estimated birth rate, death rate and natural growth rate are declining.
  • The estimated birth rate reduced from 25.8 in 2000 to 20.4 in 2016 while the death rate declined from 8.5 to 6.4 per 1,000 populations over the same period.
  • The natural growth rate declined from 17.3 in 2000 to 14 in 2016 as per the latest available information.
  • As per the report, the total fertility rate (average number of children that will be born to a woman during her lifetime) in 12 States has fallen below two children per woman and nine States have reached replacement levels of 2.1 and above.
  • Delhi, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have the lowest fertility rate among other States.

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