5th June 2023

To

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
Honorable Minister
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Government of India
india-hfm@gov.in, mansukh.mandaviya@sansad.nic.in

Sir,

Sub: Urgent action required for Inclusion of disability related questions in National Family Health Survey 6 (NFHS-6: due to commence from July 2023)

We are writing this letter to bring to your attention that the disability question has been dropped in the upcoming National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 6 and to seek your support in reinstating the question.
Disability is an inherent aspect of human diversity. Furthermore, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD - Article 31), of which India is a signatory, emphasize the crucial need for data collection and disaggregated data on disability.  The decision to remove disability related questions from its survey is contradicting the principle of “leave no one behind”.

Whilst NFHS-5 (2019-21) had disability related questions and collected data on disabilities, information from International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) & Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPWD) confirm that NFHS-6 has dropped questions on disability from its survey questionnaire. Going forward, whilst NFHS needed to sharpen its questionnaire on the disability front and make it more relevant by consulting people with disabilities, it has reversed the process by removing disability related questions altogether. Considering the focus of socio economic development aspects, categorised into gender, households and bio marker subthemes and an addition of around 50 new questions to NFHS-6,  dropping the 2 questions on disability from the household subtheme is a discriminatory approach against persons with disabilities and the development of health policies and programs related to them.

With the NFHS 6 survey scheduled to commence in just a month's time, it is imperative that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare acts swiftly and prioritize the inclusion of the disability question in NFHS-6, facilitate disaggregated data and formulation of development programs of 26.8 million persons with disabilities in the country.

We hereby urge your esteemed office to intervene and take necessary action to reinstate the disability question in NFHS 6 within the next ten days, failing which the disability sector will be left with no option but to seek relief in other appropriate forums.

Looking forward to your immediate response and proactive action in this regard ensuring the rights of 26.8 million citizens with disabilities in India.

Yours sincerely,

WE, the People of India