India has recorded substantial progress in maternal and child health between 2014 and 2021, the Health Ministry announced.
According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2021 report released by the Registrar General of India, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has dropped by 37 points — from 130 per 1 lakh live births in 2014–16 to 93 in 2019–21.
As per the data, eight states have already met the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to 70 or below by 2030. Leading the way are Kerala (20), Maharashtra (38), Telangana (45), Andhra Pradesh (46), Tamil Nadu (49), Jharkhand (51), Gujarat (53), and Karnataka (63).
Also Read | India second in global maternal deaths, after Nigeria: UN Report
A decline has also been observed in key child mortality indicators. The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) dropped from 39 to 27 per 1,000 live births between 2014 and 2021. The Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) declined from 26 to 19, and the Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) improved significantly, falling from 45 to 31 per 1,000 live births over the same period.
The Sex Ratio at Birth also improved between 2014 and 2031, getting better from 899 to 913, respectively. Total Fertility Rate is consistent at 2.0 in 2021, which is notable progress from 2.3 in 2014.
The ministry said that 12 states and UTs have already attained the SDG target of Under-five Mortality Rate: Kerala (8), Delhi (14), Tamil Nadu (14), Jammu & Kashmir (16), Maharashtra (16), West Bengal (20), Karnataka (21), Punjab (22), Telangana (22), Himachal Pradesh (23), Andhra Pradesh (24) and Gujarat (24).
India’s strides in reducing maternal and child mortality have outpaced global trends, according to the Health Ministry.
India has recorded an 86% drop in Maternal Mortality Ratio since 1990, nearly double the global decline of 48%, according to the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group (UN-MMEIG) Report (2000–2023). The report also highlights a 78% decline in Under-Five Mortality, 71% in Infant Mortality, and 70% in Neonatal Mortality — all outpacing global averages
