RBI's Handbook: Telangana Health Indicators Improve, Anaemia Remains a Concern
Hyderabad: Telangana has made significant progress in several health indicators between 2014 and 2020. However, challenges such as anaemia among women and children continue to require urgent attention, according to data in the Reserve Bank of India’s handbook of statistics on Tuesday.
Telangana's birth rate declined from 18 per 1,000 population in 2014 to 16.4 in 2020, reflecting improved family planning and healthcare access. This compared favourably with the national decline from 21 to 19.5. The death rate in Telangana fell from 6.7 to 6, consistent with the national average.
The total fertility rate (TFR) dropped from 1.8 in 2014 to 1.5 in 2020, below the national average of 2.0. Life expectancy improved to 70 years (2016-20), with males at 68.7 years and females at 71.4 years, compared to 69.6 years (2014-18).
The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) reduced significantly from 81 per lakh live births in 2014 to 43 in 2020, marking a major success in maternal healthcare. Similarly, the infant mortality rate (IMR) dropped from 35 in 2014 to 21 in 2020.
Telangana’s public health spending surged from Rs 2,650 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 7,303.8 crore in 2019-20.
Despite improvements, the shortage of doctors remains a concern. While the shortfall reduced from 340 in 2014 to 79 in 2020, by 2023, out of 116 required doctors, only 61 were sanctioned, and just 37 were in position.
The prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women increased from 48.2 per cent (2015-16) to 53.2 per cent (2019-21), while anaemia among children aged six to 59 months rose from 60.7 to 70 per cent during the same period, highlighting the need for targeted nutritional interventions.
