Child mortality rate falls; UP, Assam lead the way

The under-five child mortality rate fell by an average of four points during 2014 with Uttar Pradesh and Assam among the best performing states registering a 7-point decline each, the government said on Tuesday.

It said the country is on track to bring the Under-5 Mortality Rate (U-5MR) further down and achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG).

The RGI Sample Registration Survey (SRS) on U-5MR for 2014 found 15 states/UTs registering a decline of four points and 16 that of three.

States like Bihar and Andhra Pradesh registered a decline of one point.

The SRS also found that Kerela was the only state to register an increase in U-5MR, by one point.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda said focussed, committed and targeted interventions by the government have borne “positive fruits” in 2014 and by the time the 2015 data comes, the country would have achieved the MDG target.

He said there was an 8.16 per cent decline in under-five mortality during 2013-2014 as compared to 5.76 per cent decline during 2012-2013.

In 2012-13, U-5MR had reduced from 52 to 49 (per 1000 live births) and to 45 the subsequent year, which is a decline of four points, he said.

“We have been able to save lives of approximately 1.26 lakh children,” Nadda said.

Noting that achieving U-5MR of 42 (per 1000 live births) is the MDG goal, he expressed hopes that when the SRS report for 2015 are available, “we would have achieved (the goal)”.