School of Public Health (SPH) at SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur celebrates the successful completion and dissemination of the key findings of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS -5) for the state of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry at SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCH&RC). NFHS-5, the fifth in the NFHS rounds, provides information on population, health, and nutrition for India and each state/union territory (UT) and also provides data at the District Level.
NFHS-5 includes some new topics, such as preschool education, disability, access to a toilet facility, death registration, menstrual hygiene, and abortion. The scope of clinical, anthropometric, and biochemical testing (CAB) has also been extended to include measurement of waist and hip circumferences, and the age range for the measurement of blood pressure and blood glucose has been expanded. SRM SPH surveyed a total of 27,929 households, 25,650 women, and 3,372 men in Tamil Nadu and 3,520 households, 3,669 women, and 534 men in Puducherry
Chief Guest of the event, Dr. P. Kuganantham, member of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Expert Advisory Committee for COVID19 said, “This is an eye-opener about the health status of India. Data helps to make decisions. It highlights the public health of the community and the nation at large.”
He elaborated and stated the strategies used in Survey 1 conducted in 1993. He said that public health is always side-lined. During a pandemic, it was Public Health that came to the rescue in Tamil Nadu. “During the COVID only a third of the affected were admitted in hospital, while the others were treated through a good public health system in TN.”
He added, “The development of a national, will only come from the development of a family’ mother and child. Health is not just physical or mental but includes economic, religious and social well-being.”
Appreciating the dedication and hard work done by SPH, Pro Chancellor (Academics), Dr.P. Sathyanarayanan said, “The aim of such ‘Findings’ is to prevent pandemic such as COVID 19.” He elaborated on how such findings alert the people and the precautions they need to take. “SPH has done extremely well in this research.” He said that SRMIST is doing extremely well in research and urged the institution to keep up the work.
Congratulating the remarkable achievement by SPH, SRMIST’s Vice-Chancellor Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan said, “Collecting data is difficult, and doing it during COVID is much more difficult. Data is very important, as it leads to making informed decisions. Modern technology helps us to size-fit enormous data and helps decision science.”
SRM MCH&RC’s Pro-Vice Chancellor (MHS) Lt Col Dr. A. Ravikumar said, “This is a landmark history in Medical and Health Science at SRM MCH&RC. “Authentication of data is a very big achievement as it involves planning, fieldwork among others. This NFHS -5 has a lot of interesting finds to help the health of the country.”
The key findings of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were released on the occasion. The team members that completed the NFHS -5 Project for SRM SPH were also felicitated. Present on the occasion was Dean (Medical) Dr. A. Sundaram, Dean (School of Public Health) Dr. Padma Venkat and other members of SPH.
SRM SPH, a pioneer in Public Health Education in the State of Tamil Nadu strives to bring a holistic approach to Public Health education by focusing on Academia, Research, Outreach, and Enterprise.
