THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)
(a)to(e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 507 FOR 11TH MAY, 2012
(a)&(b): As per “The State of the World’s Children†report 2008 from UNICEF,
India ranks 49th as per under five mortality rate. Further as per the latest report
published by UNICEF in 2012, India ranks 46th in under five mortality rate.
The Government has taken cognizance of it and is assiduously accordingly working to
reduce the child mortality rate through a range of interventions under NRHM.
(c) According to Sample Registration System 2010 of Registrar General of India,
Infant Mortality rate in rural area is 51 per 1000 live births whereas in urban area
IMR is 31 per 1000 live births. State wise details and comparison with developing
countries are annexed.
(d) The prominent causes of death among infants are perinatal conditions (46%),
respiratory infections (22%), diarrhoeal disease (10%), other infectious and parasitic
diseases (8%), and congenital anomalies (3.1%).
(e) Under the National Rural Health Mission, the following key interventions are
being implemented to bring down the mortality rate of children across all the States
of the country:
(1) Promotion of Institutional Delivery through Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) :
Promoting Institutional delivery by skilled birth attendant is key to reducing both
maternal and neo-natal mortality.
(2) Emphasis on facility based newborn care at different levels to reduce
Child Mortality: Setting up of facilities for care of Sick Newborn such as Special
New Born Care Units (SNCUs), New Born Stabilization Units (NBSUs) and New Born Baby
Corners (NBCCs) at different levels is a thrust area under NRHM.
(3) Capacity building of health care providers: Various trainings are being
conducted under NRHM to train doctors, nurses and ANM for early diagnosis and case
management of common ailments of children and care of mother during pregnancy and
delivery. These trainings are on IMNCI, NSSK, SBA, LSAS, EMOC, BMOC etc.
(4) Management of Malnutrition: 657 Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres have
been established for management of severe acute malnutrition.
(5) Appropriate infant and young child feeding practices are being promoted in
convergence with Ministry of Woman and Child Development. Village Health and Nutrition
Days VHNDs are organized for imparting nutritional counselling to mothers and to
improve child care practices.
(6) Universal Immunization Programme: Vaccination protects children against
many life threatening diseases such as Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio,
Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Measles. Infants are thus immunized against seven vaccine
preventable diseases every year. The Government of India supports the vaccine
programme by supply of vaccines and syringes, Cold chain equipments and provision
of operational costs.
(7) Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK): A new initiative namely Janani
Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram has been launched on 1st June, 2011, which entitles
all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely free and
no expense delivery including Caesarean section. The initiative stipulates free drugs,
diagnostics, blood and diet, besides free transport from home to institution,
between facilities in case of a referral and drop back home. Similar entitlements
have been put in place for all sick newborns accessing public health institutions
for treatment till 30 days after birth.
(8) Home based new born care HBNC: Home based newborn care through ASHAs has
been initiated by providing incentive of Rs. 250. The purpose of Home Based New Born
Care is to improve new born practices at the community level and early detection and
referral of sick new born babies.
(9) Mother and Child Tracking System: A name based Mother and Child Tracking
System has been put in place which is web based to ensure registration and tracking
of all pregnant women and new born babies so that provision of regular and complete
services to them can be ensured.
