Telangana women drive internet adoption
HYDERABAD: Women in Telangana are rapidly embracing digital technology and are no longer confined to traditional roles, according to the latest National Family Health Survey-5 (2023-24). The survey highlights significant social and health changes across the state.
Internet usage among women has risen sharply from 26.5% during the previous survey period to 64.8%, reflecting nearly a two-and-a-half-fold increase. During the same period, internet usage among men increased from 50% to 87.3%.
Women are also playing a larger role in economic and household decision-making. The survey found that 97.7% of women in the state have bank accounts that they operate themselves. Around 89.9% participate in household decisions, while 65.8% use mobile phones independently.
Child marriages decline, vaccination improves
Telangana has recorded progress in several social indicators. The rate of child marriages declined from 23.5% to 17.5%.
The proportion of children under five suffering from stunting fell from 33.1% to 27%. Among children aged 12 to 23 months, 80.9% received full immunisation.
However, lifestyle-related health concerns remain significant among men. The survey found that 43.9% of men aged 15 years and above consume alcohol, compared with 43.4% in the previous survey. Tobacco use was reported among 21.1% of men.
The impact of these habits is reflected in health outcomes. Around 28.2% of men suffer from hypertension, while 21.4% have diabetes. Obesity is also emerging as a concern, with 36.3% of women classified as overweight.
Health insurance coverage reaches 82%
Health protection has improved substantially in the state. Around 82.2% of households are covered under some form of health insurance or health financing scheme, up from 68.2% in the previous survey.
Institutional deliveries have reached 96.8%, bringing Telangana close to universal hospital-based childbirth.
However, the survey raised concerns over the high rate of Caesarean deliveries. Overall, 72.2% of births in the state are conducted through Caesarean section.
The situation is more pronounced in private hospitals, where 83.9% of deliveries are Caesarean procedures. In government hospitals, the Caesarean rate stands at 48.1%.
The survey indicates that while Telangana is making significant progress in digital inclusion, financial empowerment and healthcare access, challenges remain in promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing unnecessary surgical deliveries.
