The infant mortality rate (IMR) in the tribal-dominated talukas ofNashikdistrict dropped to three-year low of 7.4 in 2022-23 as compared to 12.8 in the previous financial year and 14 in 2020-21.
Officials from theNashik Zilla Parishadsaid child mortality rate (CMR) too has dropped to least in three years, at 9 per thousand live births in the nine tribal dominated talukas of the district in 2022-23. It was 15 per thousand live births in 2021-22 and 17 in 2020-21.
District Health authorities attributed the drastic drop in mortality rates to awareness drives in the tribal areas and intense follow-ups on the mothers and the infants through anganwadi workers, as well as ASHA volunteers.
The number of infant deaths dropped from 445 in 2020-21 to 369 the following year and to 199 in 2022-23. A similar trend was observed in the childrens death, which stood at 70 in 2020-21, 65 in 2021-22 and 17 in 2022-23.
TheIgatpuritaluka has shown the best performance by reducing the IMR by 60%. In Surgana, the drop was 15%, ZP officials said.