The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of India has declined by 10 points as per a special bulletin released by the Registrar General of India. It has declined from 113 in 2016-18 to 103 in 2017-19 (8.8 % decline). The country had been witnessing a progressive reduction in the MMR from 130 in 2014-2016, 122 in 2015-17, 113 in 2016-18, and to 103 in 2017-19, said the release issued on Monday.
With this persistent decline, India was on the verge of achieving the National Health Policy (NHP) target of 100/lakh live births by 2020 and certainly on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 70/ lakh live births by 2030, it noted.
The number of States that have achieved the SDG target has now risen from five to seven -- Kerala (30), Maharashtra (38), Telangana (56), Tamil Nadu (58), Andhra Pradesh (58), Jharkhand (61), and Gujarat (70). There are now nine States that have achieved the MMR target set by the NHP, which include the above seven and Karnataka (83) and Haryana (96).
Uttarakhand (101), West Bengal (109), Punjab (114), Bihar (130), Odisha (136) and Rajasthan (141) -- have the MMR in between 100-150, while Chhattisgarh (160), Madhya Pradesh (163), Uttar Pradesh (167) and Assam (205) have the MMR above 150.
U.P.’s achievement
Encouraging achievement has been reported by Uttar Pradesh -- which has shown the maximum decline of 30 points, Rajasthan (23 points), Bihar (19 points), Punjab (15 points) and Odisha (14 points), the release stated.
Kerala, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have shown more than 15% decline in the MMR, while Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have shown a decline between 10-15%. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha and Karnataka witnessed a decline between 5-10%.
West Bengal, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh have shown an increase in the MMR and hence would need to reappraise their strategy and intensify efforts to accelerate the MMR decline to achieve the SDG target, it added.
