Nearly one in three women are underweight in Jharkhand

Nearly one in three women in Jharkhand is underweight, while around 16.9 per cent are overweight and metabolic risks.

The figure was cited during a state-level consultation on pre-conception care organised by the health department in coordination with Child In Need Institute (CINI) on Wednesday.

According to the recent National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) 2023–24, over 29.2 per cent of women in the state are underweight and 28 per cent of women aged between 20–24 years married at 18, and 11.7 per cent of adolescent girls are already pregnant or mothers.

The consultation held under the ‘Prarabh’ initiative emphasised that couples should access their physical health, nutrition and overall preparedness before planning parenthood.

Health experts said the indicators point to the need for a shift from a pregnancy-centric approach towards pre-conception care involving health, nutrition and behavioural interventions before pregnancy.

Experts stressed that pregnancy should ideally be planned between the ages of 20 to 35 years with a message ‘First preparation, then decision having a child’.

Shashi Prakash Jha, mission director of National Health Mission (NHM), said, “Awareness alone is not enough; early screening, timely treatment, continuous counselling and follow-up are the real pathways to saving lives.”

Irfan Ansari, health minister, was not physically present on the occasion. However, he sent a message, “Foundation for a healthy mother and a healthy child is laid not during pregnancy, but before it. Nutrition, anemia prevention, mental and reproductive health are important for adolescence as they will be parents tomorrow.”

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