Lok Sabha Question No. 176 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-15
Subject: Infant Deaths
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: GAURAV GOGOI, JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 176 TO BE ANSWERED ON   15 TH DECEMBER, 2017

## INFANT DEATHS

## 176. SHRI GAURAV GOGOI: SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  according  to  a  new  United Nations  Report,  7000  new  born  babies who  died worldwide during 2016, highest i.e., 24 per cent were from India, indicating poor maternal health and a n inadequate healthcare system in the country;
- (b) if so, the number of infant deaths repor ed in the country during the last three years and the current year, State - wise;
- (c)  whether  the  Union  Government's efforts  to  prevent/check  the  infant  deaths and provide adequate healthcare system in the country proved to be ineffective; and
- (d) if so, the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBE Y)

- (a): As per the Levels and Trends in Child Mortality, 2017 report 7,000 new -borns die every day worldwide and out of this, India contributes 24%.

However, a s per Sample Registration System (2015) report of Registrar General of Ind the Neo - natal Mortality Rate at national level is 25 per 1000 live births.

- (b) to (d): As per Sample Registration System (2016) report of Registrar General of Ind the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) at national level is 34 per 1000 live births.

Infant Mortality Rate (I MR) has declined from 58 per 1000 live births in 2005 to 34 per 1000  live  births  in  2016  with  annual  decline  of  4.7%  in  India  in  comparison  to  world - wide annual decline of 3.3% during same period (45 per 1000 live births in 2005 to 31 per 100 birth i n 2016).

The State - wise details of last three years are placed at annexed.

Under  National  Health  Mission,  the  following  interventions  are  being  implemented reduce Infant M ortality R at e all across the country:

- (1)Promotion  of  Institutional  deliveries  through  cash  incentive  under  Janani  Sura Yojana  (JSY)  and  Janani  Shishu  Suraksha  Karyakaram  (JSSK)  which  entitles  all pregnant  women  delivering  in  public  health  institutions  to  absolutely  free  ante - natal check - ups,delivery  including  Caesarean  section,  post - natal  care  and  treatment  of  sick infants till one year of age.
- (2)Strengthening of delivery points for providing comprehensive and quality Reproduct Maternal,  Newborn,  Child  and  Adolescent  Health  (RMNCH+A)  Serv ices,  ensuring essential  newborn  care  at  all  delivery  points,  establishment  of  Special  Newborn Units (SNCU), Newborn Stabilization Units (NBSU) and Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) units for care of sick and small babies. Home Based Newborn Care (HBNC) is b eing provided  by  ASHAs  to  improve  child  rearing  practices.  India  Newborn  Action  Pla (INAP) was launched in 2014 to make concerted efforts towards attainment of the go of 'Single Digit Neonatal Mortality Rate' and 'Single Digit Stillbirth Rate', by 2030 .
- (3)Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for first six months and appropriate and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices are promoted in convergence with Ministr of  Women  and  Child  Development.  Village  Health  and  Nutrition  Days  (VHNDs)  are observed for provision of maternal and child health services and creating awarene maternal and child care including health and nutrition education. Ministry of Heal Family Welfare launched MAA -Mothers' Absolute Affection programme in August 2016 f or improvingbreastfeeding practices (Initial Breastfeeding within one hour , Exclusive Breastfeeding  up  to  six  months  and  complementary  Breastfeeding  up  to  two  years through mass media and capacity building of health care providers in health facili s well as in communities.
- (4)Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is being supported to provide vaccination t children  against  many  life  threatening  diseases  such  as  Tuberculosis,  Diphth Pertussis,  Polio,  Tetanus,  Hepatitis  B  and  Measles.  Pentavalen t  vaccine  has  been introduced all across the country and 'Mission Indradhanush' has been launched to fully immunize children who are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated; those that not been covered during the rounds of routine immunization for various reasons. Measles Rubella Campaign is being undertaken in select States for children from 9 months to 15 years of age with the aim of eliminating Measles by 2020.
- (5)Name based tracking of mothers and children till two years of age (Mother and Ch Tracking  System)  is  done  to  ensure  complete  antenatal,  intranatal,  postnatal  car complete immunization as per schedule.
- (6)Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) for health screening, early detection of birth defects,  diseases,  deficiencies,  development  delays  including  disability  and intervention services has been Operationalized to provide comprehensive care to al children in the age group of 0 - 18 years in the community.
- (7)Some other important interventions are Iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation fo prevention  of  anaemia  among  the  vulnerable  age  groups,  home  visits  by  ASHAs  to promote exclusive breast feeding and promote use of ORS an d Zinc for management of diarrhoea in children.
- (8)Capacity building of health care providers: Various trainings are being conducted National Health Mission (NHM) to build and upgrade the skills of health care provi in  basic  and  comprehensive  obste tric  care  of  mother  during  pregnancy,  delivery  and essential newborn care.
- (9)Low performing districts have been identified as High Priority Districts (HPDs) w entitles them to receive high per capita funding, relaxed norms, enhanced monitorin focused supportive supervisions and encouragement to adopt innovative approaches address their peculiar health challenges.

| State - wise Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) per 1000 live   | State - wise Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) per 1000 live   | State - wise Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) per 1000 live   | State - wise Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) per 1000 live   | State - wise Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) per 1000 live   |
|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| S. N.                                                    | States                                                   | 2014                                                     | 2015                                                     | 2016                                                     |
| 1                                                        | ALL INDIA Andhra Pradesh                                 | 39                                                       | 37                                                       | 34                                                       |
| 2                                                        | A&N Islands                                              | 39                                                       | 37                                                       | 34                                                       |
|                                                          | Pradesh                                                  | 22                                                       | 20                                                       | 16                                                       |
| 3 4                                                      | Arunachal Assam                                          | 30                                                       | 30 47                                                    | 36                                                       |
| 5                                                        | Bihar                                                    | 49                                                       |                                                          | 44 38                                                    |
|                                                          |                                                          | 42                                                       | 42                                                       |                                                          |
| 6                                                        | Chandigarh                                               | 23                                                       | 21                                                       | 14                                                       |
| 7                                                        | Chhattisgarh                                             | 43                                                       | 41                                                       | 39                                                       |
| 8                                                        | D&N Haveli                                               | 26                                                       | 21                                                       | 17                                                       |
| 10                                                       | Delhi                                                    | 20                                                       | 18                                                       | 18                                                       |
| 11                                                       | Goa                                                      |                                                          |                                                          |                                                          |
| 12                                                       |                                                          | 10                                                       | 9                                                        | 8                                                        |
|                                                          | Gujarat                                                  | 35                                                       | 33                                                       | 30                                                       |
| 13                                                       | Haryana                                                  | 36                                                       | 36                                                       | 33                                                       |
| 15                                                       | Jammu & Kashmir                                          | 34                                                       | 26                                                       | 24                                                       |
| 16 17                                                    | Jharkhand Karnataka                                      | 34                                                       | 32 28                                                    | 29 24                                                    |
| 18                                                       | Kerala                                                   | 29                                                       |                                                          | 10                                                       |
|                                                          |                                                          | 12                                                       | 12                                                       |                                                          |
| 19 20                                                    | Lakshadweep Madhya Pradesh                               | 20                                                       | 20 50                                                    | 19 47                                                    |
| 21                                                       | Maharashtra                                              | 52 22                                                    | 21                                                       | 19                                                       |
| 22                                                       | Manipur                                                  | 11                                                       | 9                                                        | 11                                                       |
| 23                                                       | Meghalaya                                                | 46                                                       | 42                                                       | 39                                                       |
| 24                                                       | Mizoram                                                  | 32                                                       | 32                                                       | 27                                                       |
| 25                                                       | Nagaland                                                 | 14                                                       | 12                                                       | 12                                                       |
| 26                                                       | Odisha                                                   | 49                                                       | 46                                                       | 44                                                       |
| 27                                                       | Puducherry                                               | 14                                                       | 11                                                       | 10                                                       |
| 28                                                       | Punjab                                                   | 24                                                       | 23                                                       | 21                                                       |
| 29                                                       | Rajasthan                                                | 46                                                       | 43                                                       | 41                                                       |
| 30                                                       | Sikkim                                                   | 19                                                       | 18                                                       | 16                                                       |
| 31                                                       | Tamil Nadu                                               | 20                                                       | 19                                                       | 17                                                       |
| 32                                                       | Telangana                                                | 35                                                       | 34                                                       | 31                                                       |
| 33                                                       | Tripura                                                  | 21                                                       | 20                                                       | 24                                                       |
| 34                                                       | Uttar                                                    | 48                                                       | 46                                                       | 43                                                       |
|                                                          | Pradesh                                                  |                                                          |                                                          |                                                          |
| 36                                                       | West Bengal                                              | 28                                                       | 26                                                       | 25                                                       |