Imphal, October 09 2008: The report of the National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3) conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with International Institute for Population Sciences based at Mumbai as the nodal agency has pointed out that incidents of crime and violence against women, both physical and sexual, is very high in Manipuri society.

The report of the NFHS-3 is to be officially declared tomorrow.

With main emphasis on census, health and nutrition, the field survey was conducted by the New Delhi-based TNS Private Limited which had been hired for the purpose by the nodal agency.

The survey report said that in Manipur out of every five married women, two of them suffered domestic violence and crime, both physically and sexually, in the hands of their husbands while similar problems are not new to even educated women.

The rate of crime and violence against women in Manipuri society is, thus, higher in comparison to other States.

Pointing out that the fertility rate among the Manipuri women is still higher, the report said that even if antenatal care is being received by an impressive number of pregnant mothers, the number of women coming to a hospital for delivery is just 46 percent, though this is higher than the all India percentage of 39.Manipur is on the 14th position among the Indian States in term of higher rate of child delivery at hospital.

As for infant mortality rate, the report pointed out that it has come down from 37 to 30 deaths out of every 1000 infants born.

Among the Indian States with lowest infant mortality rate, Manipur is in the third place just after Goa and Kerala.

However, the facilities for vaccination against BCG, Measles, DPT and Polio available to only just a little more than half the population of infants in the age group of 12 to 23 months in Manipur.

This may be higher than the National level 44 percent but diarrhoea continues to be a major health issue among the children of Manipur, the report said.

The report further said that malnutrition related diseases are still a major health problem for the children and adults alike in Manipur so much so that 36 percent of the children below five years of age have stunted growth even as persons in the age group of 15 to 45 years are susceptible to anaemia.

Another interesting point that has been indicated in the report is that even if there is general agreement among the elders on imparting moral values to children in the schools, there is difference of opinion among the men and women population over the inclusion of topics on contraceptives in the school curriculum.

The report also indicated that 1.13 percent of the population in the age group of 15 to 49 years in Manipur have been either infected or affected with HIV/AIDS and level of awareness of the disease is very high.

A day ahead of its official declaration tomorrow, a sneak preview of the survey report prepared with the technical support of Macro International, Calverton, Maryland, USA; United State Agency for International Development (USAID); The Department for International Development (DFID), The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF and The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was presented by Senior Co-ordinator Prof Kamala Gupta and Dr Lungdim to the media today at Hotel Nirmala.

Director of Family Welfare Th Biren also present at the occasion.

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