Less than half of Nagaland’s population without “comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS”: NFHS-5

DIMAPUR, MAY 8: Despite numerous awareness campaigns held in Nagaland, less than half of its population are still without “comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS”, according to the fifth edition of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5).
The second phase of NFHS-5 was released recently by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
As per the NFHS data, the percentage of adult women in Nagaland (aged between 15 and 49 years) with comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS was only 25.6 %.
The number is divided almost equally between women living in urban and rural Nagaland: it was 25.5% in urban Nagaland and 25.7% in rural areas.
The total percentage of 25.6% in NFHS-5 was two times more than its corresponding figure in NFHS-4 (12.5%).
Among adult men (aged between 15 and 49 years), those with comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS was 40.1%.
Among urban men it was 30.7% while among rural men, the percentage was 45.6%.
In the case of both the genders, the percentage was higher in the rural areas.
Also, 61.4% of adult women knew that consistent condom use can reduce the chance of getting HIV/AIDS ~ 62.9% in urban areas and 60.5% in rural Nagaland.
Among adult men, the percentage was 68.5% ~ 62.9% in urban sector and 60.5% in rural.
In its report, the Ministry advised readers to cautious while interpreting and comparing the trends as some States/UTs could have smaller sample size.
“Moreover, at the time of survey, Ayushman Bharat AB-PMJAY and Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) were not fully rolled out and hence, their coverage may not have been factored in the results of (some) indicator(s)”, it stated.
According to the Ministry, NFHS-5 fieldwork for Nagaland was conducted from July 15, 2019 to December 6, 2019 and information was gathered from 10,112 households, 9,694 women, and 1,456 men.
Characteristics of adults
The number of literate adult women in Nagaland was 85.8% ~ 91.5% in urban and 82.7% in rural.
Out of this, 44.4% of women were with 10 or more years of schooling.
Among adult men, the literacy rate was 93.3% ~ 97.7% in urban and 90.7% in rural.
Adult men with 10 or more years of schooling constituted 53.1%.
As per the data, 49.9% adult women and 64.6% adult men in the State have used the internet.
Population and household profile
Till the time when the survey was conducted, the State’s population of below those aged below 15 years was 24.7% and the sex ratio (females per 1,000 males) was at 1,007.
In Nagaland, 85.2% of female population aged 6 years and above had attended school till then.
The percentage of its total population living in households with electricity was 98.6% ~ 99.6% in urban and 98% in rural.
Population living in households with improved drinking-water source was 91% ~ 93.5% in urban and 89.8% in rural.
Also, population living in households that use improved sanitation facility was 87.7% while the percentage of households using clean fuel for cooking was only 43%.
Again, there were only 20.5% households with any usual member covered under a health insurance/financing scheme ~ 15% in urban and 23.1% in rural.
(Page News Service)