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Skilled Birth Attendance and Antenatal Care Coverage in India

UID: HW-20250115-IN-01

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Meta Data

Source

National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21

Last Updated

January 15, 2025

Time Range

2019-21

Periodicity

Annual

Overview

Skilled birth attendance (SBA) and antenatal care (ANC) are essential for pregnant women’s and their babies’ health. SBA refers to the care trained professionals provide during pregnancy, birth, and after birth. ANC refers to the care provided before birth, including medical advice and interventions.

What is skilled birth attendance? 
Medical practitioners with training, like physicians, nurses, and midwives, provide SBA. In order to detect, treat, and refer issues for both mother and child, it is helpful to manage typical pregnancies, deliveries, and the first few days after giving birth.

What is antenatal care?
ANC is care provided before birth, including medical advice and interventions. It includes visits to a health service facility or midwife to help reach pregnant women with important interventions for their health and well-being.

Trends & Insights

According to the NFHS-5 report, in terms of skilled birth attendance, Kerala and Lakshadweep established a benchmark for other states to follow by achieving universal coverage (100%). Tamil Nadu has closely followed with an impressive 99% coverage (approx), demonstrating the southern states’ consistent commitment to maternal healthcare. These achievements reflect decades of sustained investment in public health infrastructure and human resources. However, some states have shown concerning gaps in skilled birth attendance. For instance, Nagaland recorded the lowest coverage at 55.3% over the last five-year period, with only a marginal improvement to 58.7% in the most recent year. Similarly, Meghalaya (64%) also struggled to provide skilled birth attendance across both time periods. This suggests that geographical challenges and possibly cultural factors have continued to impact healthcare delivery in these northeastern states. While Goa achieved an impressive 93% antenatal care coverage for four or more antenatal care visits, Bihar reported only 25.2% coverage, indicating that three-quarters of pregnant women in the state did not receive the recommended number of antenatal checkups. Nagaland also showed poor performance in this indicator at 20.7%. An interesting pattern has emerged when comparing urban union territories with larger states. Chandigarh, Delhi, and Puducherry all maintained high rates of skilled birth attendance (above 93%) and relatively better antenatal care coverage (ranging from 77.8% to 87.4%) than other states. This trend highlights how urban infrastructure and accessibility play crucial roles in healthcare delivery. However, the national average has presented a mixed picture. While India achieved 89.4% skilled birth attendance coverage over five years (improving to 90.9% in the most recent year), the antenatal care coverage remained considerably lower at 58.5%. This gap between delivery and antenatal care suggests that while emergency services have improved, regular preventive care during pregnancy has not received adequate attention. Several states have demonstrated remarkable improvements in skilled birth attendance between the five-year average and the most recent year. Tripura, for instance, improved it’s skilled birth attendance coverage from 89.2% to 92.1%, while West Bengal progressed from 94.1% to 96.5%. These improvements indicate the successful implementation of maternal health programs and increased healthcare accessibility.

The urban-rural divide in healthcare access is clearly evident. States with predominantly rural populations have generally shown lower coverage rates across both indicators. This pattern suggests that despite various government initiatives, geographical accessibility remains a significant barrier to maternal healthcare utilization in rural areas. These insights underscore the need for targeted interventions that address both immediate delivery care and comprehensive antenatal care, particularly in states showing poor performance. The success of states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu provides valuable lessons for others, demonstrating that consistent focus on public health infrastructure, community engagement, and healthcare accessibility can significantly improve maternal healthcare outcomes.

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Citation

Please cite this article using proper attribution to 360 Analytika when referencing or sharing our content.

National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). (2028). Skilled birth attendance and antenatal care coverage in India (360 Analytika, Ed.) [Dataset]. https://360analytika.com/skilled-birth-attendance-and-antenatal-care-coverage-in-india/

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