Lok Sabha Question No. 465 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-09
Subject: Female Mortality
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Unmesh Bhaiyyasaheb Patil, Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Krishna Pal Singh Yadav, Heena Vijaykumar Gavit, Sujay Radhakrishna Vikhepatil, Rita Bahuguna Joshi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 465

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2022

## FEMALE MORTALITY

## 465.    SHRI UNMESH BHAIYYASAHEB PATIL:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

DR. KRISHNA PAL SINGH YADAV:

DR. HEENA GAVIT:

DR. SUJAY RADHAKRISHNA VIKHE PATIL:

PROF. RITA BAHUGUNA JOSHI:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to formulate an action plan to check mortality rate among women between the age of 18-23 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the steps being taken up by the Government to address the issues of female mortality rate, State-wise;
- (c) the number of deaths of women in the age group 18-20 reported while giving birth to the infant; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  set  up  a  committee  in  the  States  to address the issue of child mortality and prevent increase in mortality rate in the country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a)  to  (d):     Health  being  a  State  Subject,  the  primary  responsibility  of  provision  of healthcare  to  all  lies  with  respective  State  Governments.  However,  in  order  to  bring down Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) & Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Ministry of Health and  Family  Welfare  (MoHFW),   Government  of  India   supports  the  States/  UTs  to implement  Reproductive,  Maternal,  Newborn,  Child,  Adolescent  health  and  Nutrition (RMNCAH+N)  strategy  under  National  Health  Mission  (NHM)  based  on  the  annual Program  Implementation  Plans  (PIP)  submitted  by  States/  UTs.  As  per  Sample

Registration System (SRS) Maternal Mortality Ratio of India has declined from 113 per lakh live births in 2016-18 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20.

Steps taken by the Government to minimize maternal and infant mortality rate include:

- i. Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) provides assured, dignified, respectful and  quality  healthcare  at  no  cost  and  zero  tolerance  for  denial  of  services  for every woman and newborn visiting public health facilities to end all preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
- ii. Janani  Suraksha  Yojana  (JSY),  a  demand  promotion  and  conditional  cash transfer scheme for promoting institutional delivery.
- iii. Under  Janani  Shishu  Suraksha  Karyakram  (JSSK),  every  pregnant  woman  is entitled to free delivery, including caesarean section, in public health institutions along with the provision of free transport, diagnostics, medicines, consumables & diet
- iv. Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides pregnant women a fixed day, free of cost assured  and  quality  antenatal  check  up  by  a Specialist/Medical Officer on the 9th day of every month.
- v. LaQshya  improves  the  quality  of  care  in  labour  room  and  maternity  operation theatres  to  ensure  that  pregnant  women  receive  respectful  and  quality  care during delivery and immediate post-partum.
- vi. Monthly  Village  Health,  Sanitation  and  Nutrition  Day  (VHSND)  is  an  outreach activity at Anganwadi centers for provision of maternal and child care including nutrition in convergence with the ICDS.
- vii. Delivery  Points-  Over  25,000  'Delivery  Points'  across  the  country  have  been strengthened  in  terms  of  infrastructure,  equipment,  and  trained  manpower  for provision of comprehensive RMNCAH+N services
- viii. MCP Card and Safe Motherhood Booklet are distributed to the pregnant women for educating them on diet, rest, danger signs of pregnancy, benefit schemes and institutional deliveries.
- ix. Reproductive  and  child  health  (RCH)  portal  is  a  name-based  web-enabled tracking  system  for  pregnant  women  and  new  born  so  as  to  ensure  seamless provision  of  regular  and  complete  services  to  them  including  antenatal  care, institutional delivery and post-natal care.

Office  of  the  Registrar  General  &  Census  Commissioner,  India  releases  Special Bulletin  on  Maternal  Mortality  in  India.  The  bulletin  provides  data  on  overall  Maternal Mortality.  However, the number of deaths of women in the age group 18-20 reported while giving birth to the infant is not available in the report.

Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare  is  implementing  Child  Death  Review (CDR) guidelines since 2015. To monitor the process of Child Death Review, District and  State  level  Task  Force  are  formed  by  States/  UTs.  Review  meetings  under  the chairpersonship of District Magistrate (DM) are carried-out every quarter and necessary action taken to fulfill the gaps identified.

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