(a) whether it is true that India has reported the highest number of child deaths globally;
(b) if so, the number of child deaths during the last ten years and the reasons therefor; and
(c) the corrective steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)
(a) to (c) As per latest available data from Sample Registration System of Registrar General of India 2018, U5MR for India is 36/1000 live births in 2018.
(b) The status of under 5 mortality rate at National level for the last 10 years (per 1000 Live Births) is as under:
Year Mortality Rate
2009 64
2010 59
2011 55
2012 52
2013 49
2014 45
2015 43
2016 39
2017 37
2018 36
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 & birth 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%).
In order to bring down the child mortality, the Government of India is supporting all States/UTs under National Health Mission in implementation of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategies.
Special steps/interventions related to reduction of child mortality include:
• Sick Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) 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.
• In addition to above, Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for first six months and appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices promoted under Mothers'' Absolute Affection (MAA).
• Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) initiative launched for reduction of Childhood morbidity and mortality due to Pneumonia.
• Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) to provide vaccination to children against life threatening diseases
• Children from 0 to 18 years of age screened for 30 health conditions (i.e. Diseases, Deficiencies, Defects and Developmental delay) under "Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram" (RBSK) to improve child survival.
• Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) set up at public health facilities to treat and manage the children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) complications.
• Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight / Defeat Diarrhoea (D2) initiative launched for promoting ORS and Zinc use and for reducing diarrheal deaths.
• Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy as a part of Poshan Abhiyan to tackle anaemia in school going adolescents inter alia
• Name based tracking of mothers and children till two years of age is done through RCH portal to ensure complete antenatal, intranatal, postnatal care and immunization as per schedule.
• Several capacity building programs of health care providers are undertaken for improving maternal and child survival and health outcomes.
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