Assam has seen a steep (34% ) decline in maternal deaths compared to last year, while child deaths in the state have gone down by 13%, theAssam National Health Mission(NHM) said.
The number of maternal death cases in 2022-23 (May-February) was 448 against 680 in the corresponding period of 2021-22, showing a decline of 232 deaths. The number of child death cases in 2022-23 (May-February) has been reported as 5,805, while the corresponding figure was 6,721 in 2021-22 (May-February), a decline of 916 deaths or 13.6%.
According to the Registrar General of India’s ‘Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality’ for the period 2018 to 2020 released last year, Assam recorded 195 deaths per lakh live births, though it was an improvement from the previous figure of 215 in the period 2016 to 2018. Nationally, there has been a significant decline in theMMRfrom 130 in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20. In 2005, Assam’s MMR was 480 per one lakh live births.
Assam’s infant mortality rate (IMR) was 36 deaths per 1,000 live births as against the national Average of 28, as per theSample Registration System Statistical Report2020 published last year.