Lok Sabha Question No. 1022 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-05
Subject: Infant Deaths in Kerala
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Kodikunnil Suresh

## GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION 1022 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH DECEMBER 2025

## INFANT DEATHS IN KERALA

## 1022: SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:

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

- (a) the total number of infant deaths (0-1 year) and child deaths (1-5 years) reported from Government and private hospitals in Kerala during the last ten years;

(b) the details of infant and child mortality, indicating causes of death and the type of facility where the deaths occurred during the last ten financial years in the country, State/UT-wise and districtwise;

- (c) the total number of maternal deaths reported in Kerala during the last ten years, especially deaths of pregnant women occurring during labour, delivery or immediately postpartum;
- (d) the details of maternal deaths including medical causes, delays in referral, availability of emergency obstetric care, district-wise and hospital-wise;
- (e) whether any audits or investigations have been conducted into high-burden districts and if so, the findings thereof; and
- (f) the steps taken by the Government to reduce infant, child and maternal mortality in Kerala through improved infrastructure, manpower and emergency care services?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)

(a) As per available report of Sample Registration System (SRS) of Registrar General of India (RGI), Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) during last ten (10) years for the State of Kerala is placed at Annexure I.

(b) The Office of Registrar General of India (RGI) publishes National level data on various indicators. As per SRS-RGI report for the year 2021-2023, the major causes of infant and child deaths are prematurity & low birth weight, pneumonia, birth asphyxia & birth trauma, congenital anomalies, diarrhoea and sepsis.

Details for the previous years (from 2014-16 onwards) may be accessed from the reports as indicated below:

https://censusindia.gov.in/census.website/data/SRSCOD

(c) As per the Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) released by the Registrar General of India, the MMR of Kerala over the last ten years is placed at Annexure II.

(d) As reported by the State of Kerala, the major causes of maternal deaths are haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, sepsis and amniotic fluid embolism.

(e) As reported by the State of Kerala, Maternal and Child Death Reviews are conducted at the State, district and facility levels to identify gaps and implement corrective and preventive measures to avert preventable deaths.

(f) The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) provides technical and financial support for implementation of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH + N) strategy under National Health Mission (NHM) based on the Annual Program Implementation Plan (APIP) submitted by respective State / UT.

The details of interventions to improve maternal health outcomes all across the country including State of Kerala, are placed below:

-  Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a demand promotion and conditional cash transfer scheme for promoting institutional delivery.
-  Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) under which every pregnant woman and sick infant is entitled to free delivery, including caesarean section, in public health institutions along with provision of free transport, diagnostics, medicines, blood, other consumables & diet.
-  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 9 th day of every month.
- o Extended PMSMA (e-PMSMA) strategy was launched for individual tracking of high-risk pregnant women till a safe delivery.
-  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.
-  Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) aims to provide assured, dignified, respectful and quality healthcare at no cost and zero tolerance for denial of services for every woman and newborn visiting the public health facility to end all preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
-  Optimizing Postnatal Care aims to strengthen the quality of postnatal care by laying emphasis on detection of danger signs in mothers and incentivizing Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) for prompt detection, referral & treatment of such high-risk postpartum mothers.
-  Functionalization of First Referral Units (FRUs) by ensuring manpower, blood storage units, referral linkages to improve the access to quality of care for pregnant women.
-  Setting up of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Wings at high caseload facilities to improve the quality of care provided to mothers and children.
-  Operationalization of Obstetric High Dependency Units & Intensive Care Units (Obst. HDU & ICU) in high case load tertiary care facilities across the country to handle complicated pregnancies.
-  Birth Waiting Homes (BWH) are established in remote and tribal areas to promote institutional delivery and improve access to healthcare facilities.
-  Capacity Building of staff in Skilled Birth Attendance (SBA), Daksh, Dakshata along with BEmONC, CEmONC and LSAS to provide comprehensive quality care during delivery at a health facility.

The details of interventions to improve child health outcomes all across the country including State of Kerala, are placed below:

-  Facility Based Newborn Care: Special New-born Care Units (SNCUs) are established at District Hospital and Medical College level, Newborn 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 Newborn 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 newborn and young children in the community.
-  Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK): Sick infant up to one year of age is entitled to free treatment in public health institutions along with the provision of free transport, diagnostics, medicines, blood and consumables.
-  Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) initiative implemented since 2019 for reduction of childhood morbidity and mortality due to Pneumonia.
-  STOP Diarrhoea campaign is implemented for promoting use of ORS and Zinc and for reducing morbidity and mortality due to childhood diarrhoea.
-  Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK): Children from 0 to 18 years of age are screened for 32 health conditions (i.e. Diseases, Deficiencies, Defects and Developmental delay) under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (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.

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## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1022 for reply on 5 th December 2025

| Status of Infant Mortality Rate and Under 5 Mortality Rate in the State of Kerala   | Status of Infant Mortality Rate and Under 5 Mortality Rate in the State of Kerala   | Status of Infant Mortality Rate and Under 5 Mortality Rate in the State of Kerala   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                                     | Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)                                                         | Under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR)                                                       |
| 12                                                                                  | 13                                                                                  | 2014                                                                                |
| 12                                                                                  | 13                                                                                  | 2015                                                                                |
| 10                                                                                  | 11                                                                                  | 2016                                                                                |
| 10                                                                                  | 12                                                                                  | 2017                                                                                |
| 7                                                                                   | 10                                                                                  | 2018                                                                                |
| 6                                                                                   | 9                                                                                   | 2019                                                                                |
| 6                                                                                   | 8                                                                                   | 2020                                                                                |
| 6                                                                                   | 8                                                                                   | 2021                                                                                |
| 7                                                                                   | 9                                                                                   | 2022                                                                                |
| 5                                                                                   | 8                                                                                   | 2023                                                                                |

Unit:

Per 1000 live births

Source:

Sample Registration System (SRS) of Registrar General of India (RGI)

https://censusindia.gov.in/census.website/data/SRSSTAT

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1022 for reply on 5 th December 2025

| Status of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in the State of Kerala   |   Status of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in the State of Kerala |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2014-16                                                           |                                                                46 |
| 2015-17                                                           |                                                                42 |
| 2016-18                                                           |                                                                43 |
| 2017-19                                                           |                                                                30 |
| 2018-20                                                           |                                                                19 |
| 2019-21                                                           |                                                                20 |
| 2020-22                                                           |                                                                18 |
| 2021-23                                                           |                                                                30 |

Unit:

Per 1,00,000 births

Source: Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), Sample Registration System (SRS) of Registrar General of India (RGI)

https://censusindia.gov.in/census.website/data/SRSMMB