Child Mortality
As per the Sample Registration system 2008, the under five mortality rate is 69 per thousand live births and infant mortality rate is 53 per thousand live births.
As per the report “A Fair Chance at Life” by a Non Government Organisation (NGO), the children from the poorer community are more vulnerable to die before attaining the age of 5 years. The child mortality in
India for the poorest quintile has been reported as almost three times higher than for the richest quintile. While there is an average reduction in child mortality rate of nearly 3 % per year across countries, there is however, an accompanied average rise in the ratio of child mortality between the richest and the poorest of 0.5 %.
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) seeks to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care to the rural population, especially the vulnerable section with special focus on 18 States, including the erstwhile 8 Empowered Action Group (EAG) States, the north-Eastern States, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
The Emphasis is on strengthening rural health infrastructure including physical infrastructure, manpower and other facilities.
Under the NRHM the Reproductive and Child Health Programme (RCH) II comprehensively integrates interventions that improve child health and addresses factors contributing to morbidity and mortality.
The key components of child health programme which help reduce child morbidity and mortality are as follows:
* Establishment of Special Newborn Care Units, Newborn Stabilization Units and Newborn Care Corners at health facilities.
* Integrated management of neonatal and childhood Illnesses (IMNCI) and Pre- Service Integrated management of neonatal and childhood Illnesses (FIMNCI).
* Facility Based Integrated management of neonatal and childhood Illnesses (IMNCI).
* Early detection and appropriate management of Diarrhoeal disease
* Early detection and appropriate management of Acute Respiratory Infections and other infections
* Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (NSSK), a programme for Basic newborn care and resuscitation
* Infant and young child feeding
* Immunization
* Vitamin A supplementation and Iron and Folic Acid supplementation.
* Establishment of Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres
This information was given by Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad in written reply to a question raised in Lok Sabha today.
DS/GK