India Witnesses Decline In Maternal And Child Mortality, On Track To Achieve SDG 2030 Targets: Health Ministry

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday announced that India is witnessing a significant decline in maternal and child mortality, marking a step closer to achieving the UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 targets.

According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2021 report released by the Registrar General of India (RGI), the country has seen 37 points decline in the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) from 130 per 100,000 live births in 2014–16 to 93 in 2019–21.

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Decline in mortality rate marks a step closer to achieving the SDG 2030 targets

Furthermore, the 2021 report by the Sample Registration System (SRS) also indicates a significant decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR), and Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR).

IMR of the country has declined from 39 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 27 per 1000 live births in 2021

NMR has declined from 26 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 19 per 1000 live births in 2021.

U5MR has declined from 45 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 31 per 1000 live births in 2021.

Notably, the Sex Ratio at Birth also improved from 899 in 2014 to 913 in 2021. And the Total Fertility Rate is also shown to be consistent at 2.0 in 2021, which is a significant improvement from 2.3 in 2014.

Remarking on the positive shift, the Ministry states, 'India's Progress in reduction of Maternal and Child mortality indicators outpaces Global Averages.'

State-wise progress: SDG target on MMR, U5MR and NMR

Eight (8) States have already attained SDG target of MMR (<=70 by 2030): Kerala (20), Maharashtra (38), Telangana (45), Andhra Pradesh (46), Tamil Nadu (49), Jharkhand (51), Gujarat (53), Karnataka (63).

Twelve (12) States/UT have already attained SDG target of U5MR (<=25 by 2030): 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).

Six (6) States/ UT have already attained the SDG target of NMR (<=12 by 2030): Kerala (4), Delhi (8), Tamil Nadu (9), Maharashtra (11), Jammu & Kashmir (12) and Himachal Pradesh (12).

Key initiatives

The Government claims that approximately 30 million (300 lakh) safe pregnancies and 26 million (260 lakh) healthy live births are reported annually, owing to various flagship health schemes.

From Ayushman Bharat to real-time surveillance of maternal, newborn, and child health through digital platforms, a range of targeted initiatives are in place. Interventions such as the administration of antenatal corticosteroids for preterm labor, the use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), and structured follow-up for hearing and vision screening have significantly contributed to improved newborn survival outcomes, among other benefits.

“These sustained improvements are a result of strategic interventions and the unwavering commitment of the Government of India,” states the Ministry.