Why in the News
- The Levels and Trends in Child Mortality by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation highlights:
- Global slowdown in reducing child deaths
- India’s steady improvement in child and neonatal mortality
Global Scenario
- 4.9 million children died before age 5 (2024)
- Includes 2.3 million newborns
- Under-5 mortality:
- ↓ More than 50% since 2000
- BUT progress slowed by >60% since 2015
- 2.1 million deaths (age 5–24 years)
- Regional Distribution
- Sub-Saharan Africa: Accounts for 58% of global under-5 deaths
India’s Performance
1. Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR)
- 1990: 57 per 1000 live births
- 2024: 17 per 1000
2. Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR)
- 1990: 127 per 1000
- 2024: 27 per 1000
3. Key Drivers of Improvement
- Expanded immunisation coverage
- Increase in institutional deliveries
- Strengthening of public health systems
- Targeted interventions:
- Maternal & child healthcare
- Nutrition programs
Key Observations
- India is a major contributor to mortality reduction in South Asia
- Demonstrates that: Low-cost interventions can significantly reduce deaths
Challenges Ahead
- Slowing global progress
- Persistent: Malnutrition and Infectious diseases
- High neonatal share: Nearly half of under-5 deaths
| [2023] Consider the following statements in relation to Janani Suraksha Yojna: 1. It is a safe motherhood intervention of the State Health Departments. 2. Its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among poor pregnant women. 3. It aims to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women. 4. Its objective includes providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age. How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four |
