CM1.7-8 | CM1.7-8 | Health Indicators and Demographic Profile — Summary & Reflection

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Health indicators are quantifiable parameters that reflect population health status across five categories: mortality (CDR, IMR, NMR=neonatal deaths/1,000 live births, PNMR, MMR=maternal deaths/100,000 live births, U5MR=deaths <5 years/1,000 live births), morbidity (incidence, prevalence, attack rate), positive health (LEB, HALE, DALYs=YLL+YLD), disability (YLL, YLD), and socioeconomic/service indicators. The critical denominators to know: IMR/NMR/U5MR/CBR = per 1,000; MMR = per 100,000 live births (a ratio, not a rate). TFR = average children per woman across reproductive life; replacement level ≈ 2.1; India's TFR per NFHS-5 (2019-21) is 2.0. India's Census 2011 population was 1.21 billion; sex ratio 940 females per 1,000 males; literacy 74%. India is in late Stage II/early Stage III demographic transition. Three primary data systems: SRS (annual vital rates), Census (decennial population count), NFHS (periodic household health survey). The demographic dividend — currently open — represents the window of greatest economic opportunity from India's large working-age cohort. Every indicator has a programme target and a corresponding national health scheme.

REFLECT

Look up the most recent SRS annual report or NFHS-5 district factsheet for your home district or the district where your medical college is located. Find the IMR, MMR (if available), institutional delivery rate, and TFR. Compare these with the national averages from this module. Are they better, worse, or similar? For one indicator where your district performs worse than the national average, identify which national programme is most directly responsible for improving it, and hypothesise one local factor that might explain the gap. This exercise will make the abstract numbers from this module concrete and personally relevant.