Lok Sabha Question No. 707 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-23
Subject: High Death Rate of Children
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Kunwar Danish Ali

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 707 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 RD JULY, 2021

## HIGH DEATH RATE OF C HILDREN

## 707. KUNWAR DANISH ALI:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that our country has the highest number of child deaths in the world;
- (b) if so, the number of children who have died during the last ten years and the reasons therefor; and
- (c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to check high death rate among children in the country?

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

- (a) & (b): As  perSample  Registration  System  Report ,  2018released  in 2020, Under  5 Mortality Rate is 3 6 per 1,000 live births in India whereas as per United Nation Inter - Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN -IGME), the global average is 39 per 1,000 live births inthe year 2018.

As  per  the  United  Na tions  Inter - Agency  Group  for  Child  Mortality  Estimation  (UN -IGME) report, the highest rate of Child Mortality (Under 5 mortality) was noted in Sub -Saharan Africa region.

Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period 2009 - 2018)is placed at Annexure .

The causes  of  child  mortality  in  India  as  per  the  SRS  reports  (2010 - 13) vary  from : Prematurity & low birth weight (29.8%), Pneumonia (17.1%) , Diarrheal diseases (8.6%), Other non- communicable  diseases  (8.3%),  Birth  asphyxia  &  b irth  trauma  (8.2%),  Injuries  (4.6%), Congenital anomalies (4.4%), Ill - defined or cause unknown (4.4%), Acute bacterial sepsis and severe infections (3.6%), Fever of unknown origin (2.5%), All Other Remaining Causes (8.4%

- (c): In order to bring down the child mortality, the  Government  of  India  is  supporting  all States/ UTs in implementation of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Hea and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy under National Health Mission (NHM).

NHM  pr ovides  technical  support  and  financial  assistance  to  States/  UTs  based proposals received in their Annual Program Implementation Plans (APIP) .

## Special steps/ interventions related to reduction of child mortality include:

- Sick Newborn Care Units (SNC Us) established at District Hospital and Medical College level for care of sick and small babies.
- Newborn  Stabilization  Units  (NBSUs)established  at  First  Referral  Units  (FRUs Community Health Centres (CHC) for care of sick and small babies
- Under Home Based Newborn Care (HBNC) and Home - Based Care of Young Children (HBYC)  program,  home  visits  by  ASHAs  are  undertaken  to  improve  child  rearing practices and to identify sick new - born and young children in the community.

## Other interventions include the following:

- Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for first six months and appropriate and  Young  Child  Feeding  (IYCF)  practices  are  promoted  under  Mothers'  Absolute Affection (MAA).
- Social Awareness and Action s to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) initiative has been launched for reduction of Childhood morbidity and mortality due to Pneumoni
- Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is being supported to provide vaccination t children  against  life  thre atening  diseases  such  as  Tuberculosis,  Diphtheria,  Pertussis Polio,  Tetanus,  Hepatitis  B,  Measles,  Rubella,  Pneumonia  and  Meningitis  caused Haemophilus Influenzae  B.  The  Rotavirus  vaccination  has  also  been  rolled  out  in country for prevention of Ro ta - viral diarrhoea.
- 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  interven tion  center (DEIC) at district health facility level are established for confirmation and mana of children screened under RBSK.
- Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) have been set up at public health facili treat  and  manage  the  children  with Severe  Acute  Malnutrition  (SAM)  admitted  with medical complications.
- Intensified  Diarrhoea  Control  Fortnight  /  Defeat  Diarrhoea  (D2)  initiative  has launched for promoting ORS and Zinc use and for reducing diarrheal deaths.
- Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) s trategy as a part of Poshan Abhiyan aims to strengthen the  existing  mechanisms  and  foster  newer  strategies  to  tackle  anaemia  which  inc testing  &  treatment  of  anaemia  in  school  going  adolescents  &  pregnant  women addressing  non  nutritional  causes  of  ana emia  and  a  comprehensive  communication strategy.
- Name based tracking of mothers and children till two years of age is done through portal to ensure complete antenatal, intranatal, postnatal care and immunization schedule.
- Several capacity building programs of health care providers are undertaken for improvin maternal and child survival and health outcomes.

Annexure

| Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period -2009 2018)   |   Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period -2009 2018) |   Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period -2009 2018) |   Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period -2009 2018) |   Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period -2009 2018) |   Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period -2009 2018) |   Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period -2009 2018) |   Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period -2009 2018) |   Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period -2009 2018) |   Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period -2009 2018) |   Status of Under 5 Mortality Rate at National level for last 10 years (Period -2009 2018) |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                                            |                                                                                       2009 |                                                                                       2010 |                                                                                       2011 |                                                                                       2012 |                                                                                       2013 |                                                                                       2014 |                                                                                       2015 |                                                                                       2016 |                                                                                       2017 |                                                                                       2018 |
| India                                                                                      |                                                                                         64 |                                                                                         59 |                                                                                         55 |                                                                                         52 |                                                                                         49 |                                                                                         45 |                                                                                         43 |                                                                                         39 |                                                                                         37 |                                                                                         36 |