The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report presented on the last day of the Gujarat Assembly session has brought forth issues regarding the newborn vaccinations, maternal healthcare and preschool education.

As per the CAG report, 18.79% of children are still missing out on preschool education, and 6% remain unvaccinated under the immunisation program. 

Furthermore, the report highlights lack of services for low birth weight newborns and their mothers, both during pregnancy and after delivery.

As per the 2011 Census, between 2015-16 and 2022-23, only 40.34 lakh children were enrolled out of the 77.77 lakh children who should have been registered  (aged 0-6 years). 

Under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP), 86% of the 4.63 crore registered beneficiaries received nutritional benefits.

The audit also identified a shortfall of 16,045 Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) across the state.

From 2015 to 2023, under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, 18.79% of children aged 3-6 years in AWCs did not receive preschool education.

Despite years of efforts, full immunisation coverage is yet to be achieved. Under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), the state achieved 94% vaccination coverage for children up to one year old, still 6% short of the target. 

The percentage of low birth weight newborns decreased from 12.33% in 2017-18 to 11.63% in 2022-23, but it remains far from the National Nutrition Mission (NNM) 2017 goal of a 2% annual reduction.

Additionally, the report flagged low registration of pregnant women and inadequate maternal and child healthcare services during pregnancy and post-delivery. 

Between 2015 and 2023, the coverage of essential maternal and newborn healthcare services – including Antenatal Care (ANC), Postnatal Care (PNC), immunisation, and the distribution of Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) tablets to pregnant and lactating mothers (P&LMs) – was significantly lower than the total number of registered P&LM beneficiaries in the healthcare system.

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