New Delhi (NVI): India’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has significantly reduced, according to a report by UNFPA India, the office of United Nations Population Fund. The MMR has come down significantly, from 398 deaths in 1997-98 to 122 in 2015-17. “However, India has a long way to go to achieve MMR target of 70 by 2030,” the report said.
“As the world marches towards 0 preventable maternal deaths, let’s kickstart the #DecadeofAction with a promise to #LeaveNoOneBehind,” UNFPA India tweeted.
Citing a 2017 report of National Health Policy, the survey mentioned that India has set an MMR target of 100 by 2020. 11 states have already achieved this target, it said.
In a year, more than 32,000 women in India die during childbirth, according to a survey by Sample Registration System. That means four women die in every one hour, the report mentioned.
Three states in the country are leading the way in this regard under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). They are- Kerala (with MMR of 46), Maharashtra (55) and Tamil Nadu (63). Under SDG, the maternal mortality ratio target is 70, the report said.
To understand the maternal mortality situation in the country better and to map the changes that have taken place, especially at the regional level, the government has categorised states into three groups – EAG, southern states and “other” states.
EAG states comprise Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and Assam. The southern states are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the “other” states categories cover the remaining states and Union territories.
The first report on maternal mortality in India (1997-2003), describing trends, causes and risk factors, was released in October 2006. In 2018, the WHO had lauded India’s progress in reducing the MMR saying the progress puts the country on track towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of an MMR below 70 by 2030.
