Lok Sabha Question No. 1035 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-22
Subject: Infant Mortality Rate among Scheduled Tribes
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: M. P. Abdussamad Samadani

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

## UNSTARRED PARLIAMENT QUESTION NO. 1035

## LOK SABHA TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND  JULY 2022

## INFANT MORTALITY RATE AMONG SCHEDULED TRIBES

1035:  DR. M.P. ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI:

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

- (a)  the  present  status  of  infant  mortality  rate  among  Scheduled  Tribes  (ST)  in  the  country, State/UT-wise and year-wise since 2018;
- (b) the reasons and factors that influence the infant deaths among Scheduled Tribes;
- (c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to reduce infant mortality rate;
- (d)  whether the infant mortality rate is very high in the ST community and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  launch  a  new  scheme  to  combat  the  problem  of infant mortality in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a):  As  per  the  latest  National  Family  Health  Survey  (NFHS)  -  V  (2019-21),  the  Infant Mortality Rate is 41.6 per 1000 live births among Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the country. The  State/  UT  wise  details  are  -  Arunachal  Pradesh  (1.9),  Assam  (33.9),  Bihar  (57.0), Chhattisgarh  (58.0),  Gujarat  (31.9),  Himachal  Pradesh  (20.8),  Jammu  &  Kashmir  (30.1), Jharkhand  (44.4),  Karnataka  (28.7),  Madhya  Pradesh  (41.3),  Maharashtra  (31.1),  Manipur (23.2),  Meghalaya  (32.6),  Odisha  (55.9),  Rajasthan  (43.2),  Telangana  (39.6),  Tripura  (50.8),

Uttar Pradesh (57.6), and West Bengal (26.7).

(b) to (e): As  per  Cause  of  Death  Statistics  2015-17  report  of  Registrar  General  India, major  causes  of  infant  mortality  in  India  are  -  Prematurity  &  low  birth  weight  (37.0%), Pneumonia  (15.5%),  Birth  asphyxia  &  birth  trauma  (10.4%),  Other  Non-Communicable Diseases  (9.1%),  Congenital  anomalies  (4.9%),  Diarrheal  diseases  (4.9%),  Acute  bacterial sepsis  and  severe  infections  (4.7%),  Fever  of  unknown  origin  (3.1%),  Injuries  (2.9%),  Illdefined or cause unknown (5.0%), and all Other Causes of deaths (2.5%).

The  Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare  (MoHFW)  is  supporting  all  States/UTs  in implementation of Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child, Adolescent health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N)  strategy  under  National  Health  Mission  (NHM)  based  on  the  Annual Programme Implementation Plan (APIP) submitted by States/ UTs to reduce Infant Mortality Rate. The details of interventions are placed at Annexure I.

## Interventions for improving Infant Mortality Rate (IMR):

-  Facility  Based  New-born  Care: Sick New-born  Care Units (SNCUs)  are established at District Hospital and Medical College level, New-born Stabilization Units (NBSUs) are established at First Referral Units (FRUs)/ Community Health Centres (CHCs) for care of sick and small babies.
-  Community Based care of New-born and Young Children: Under Home Based New-born  Care  (HBNC)  and  Home-Based  Care  of  Young  Children  (HBYC) program, home visits are performed by ASHAs to improve child rearing practices and to identify sick new-born and young children in the community.
-  Mothers' Absolute Affection (MAA): Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for  first  six  months  and  appropriate  Infant  and  Young  Child  Feeding  (IYCF) practices are promoted under Mothers' Absolute Affection (MAA).
-  Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) initiative  implemented  since  2019  for  reduction  of  childhood  morbidity  and mortality due to Pneumonia.
-  Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is implemented to provide vaccination  to  children  against  life  threatening  diseases  such  as  Tuberculosis, Diphtheria,  Pertussis,  Polio,  Tetanus,  Hepatitis  B,  Measles,  Rubella,  Pneumonia and Meningitis caused by Haemophilus Influenzae B. The Rotavirus vaccination is rolled  out  in  the  country  for  prevention  of  Rota-viral  diarrhoea.  Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) is introduced in all the States and UTs.
-  Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram (RBSK): Children from 0 to 18 years of age are screened for 30 health conditions (i.e. Diseases, Deficiencies, Defects and Developmental  delay)  under  Rashtriya  Bal  Swasthya  Karyakaram  (RBSK)  to improve  child  survival.  District  Early  Intervention  Centres  (DEICs)  at  district health  facility  level  are  established  for  confirmation  and  management  of  children screened under RBSK.
-  Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) are set up at public health facilities to treat and manage the children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) admitted with medical complications.
-  Intensified  Diarrhoea  Control  Fortnight  /  Defeat  Diarrhoea  (D2) initiative  is implemented for promoting ORS and Zinc use and for reducing diarrhoeal deaths.
-  Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy as  a  part  of  POSHAN Abhiyan aims to strengthen the existing mechanisms and foster newer strategies to  tackle anaemia which  include  testing  &  treatment  of  anaemia  in  school  going  adolescents  & pregnant women, addressing non-nutritional causes of anaemia and a comprehensive communication strategy.
-  Capacity Building: Several capacity building programs of health care providers are taken up for improving maternal and child survival and health outcomes.