“That’s why the NFHS data is a great tool because it gives you that entire arc. It actually covers maternal health, child health, NCDs, financial coverage, so at some point we have to also look at those indicators together if we are to achieve the goals that we are setting out to achieve,” public health expert Nikita Hira said during Capital Calculus on June 25.
India has made remarkable progress in expanding access to healthcare and welfare services over the past decade, but the country now faces a new public health challenge as rising obesity, diabetes, and lifestyle diseases threaten long-term human capital, according to public health expert Nikita Hira.
Speaking on the June 25 episode of Capital Calculus, a programme by StratNewsGlobal.Tech, Hira discussed the findings of the recently released sixth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), describing India’s health landscape as a paradox where improvements in healthcare access coexist with persistent malnutrition and a growing burden of non-communicable diseases.
Hira said that while institutional deliveries, health insurance coverage, vaccination rates, and maternal healthcare have improved significantly, child malnutrition remains a major concern even as obesity and diabetes continue to rise across the country. She argued that India’s next major policy challenge extends beyond expanding welfare schemes to strengthening the country’s human capital through preventive healthcare.
The discussion highlighted what experts describe as India’s “double burden of malnutrition”—the simultaneous presence of undernutrition alongside increasing obesity and metabolic disorders. Recent NFHS-6 findings indicate improvements in several maternal and child health indicators, but also show a steady increase in overweight adults, elevated blood sugar levels, and other lifestyle-related health risks.
According to Hira, prevention must become a central pillar of India’s public health strategy, with greater emphasis on nutrition, early screening, physical activity, and healthier lifestyles rather than relying primarily on treatment after disease develops.
The conversation also examined the role of women’s agency in improving health outcomes. Hira noted that empowering women through education, financial independence, and informed decision-making often translates into better nutrition, healthcare utilisation, and long-term well-being for families.
She argued that healthier populations are essential to sustaining India’s economic ambitions, warning that a workforce increasingly affected by chronic illnesses could undermine productivity and growth.
The discussion concluded that achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 will require strengthening the country’s health foundations alongside continued investments in infrastructure and economic development, with human capital becoming a defining factor in India’s long-term progress.
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