Maternal Death rate declining: Report

News: Sample Registration System (SRS) 2015-2017 bulletin for MMR has been released.

Facts:

Maternal Mortality Ratio

• Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India has seen a decline from 130 per 1 lakh live births in 2014-2016 to 122 per 1 lakh live births in 2015-2017. It is a decline of 8 points (6.2%).
• Assam records the highest MMR at 229 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by Uttar Pradesh (216), Madhya Pradesh (188), Rajasthan (186), Odisha (168), Bihar (165) and Chhattisgarh (141).
• Kerala has the lowest MMR, at 42. It is followed by Maharashtra (55), Tamil Nadu (63), Andhra Pradesh (74), Jharkhand (76) and Telangana (76).
• Karnataka has shown the highest percentage decline in MMR.

Maternal Mortality Rate:

• Uttar Pradesh has highest maternal mortality rate at 20.1, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Assam.
• Kerala has the lowest maternal mortality rate, at 1.9, followed by Maharashtra at 3.3.

Additional Information:

• Maternal Mortality: It refers to the number of maternal deaths which occur due to pregnancy or as a result of a complication of the same.
• Maternal Mortality Ratio: It is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. It is a measure of the risk of death once a woman has become pregnant.
• Maternal Mortality Rate: It is defined as the number of maternal deaths (direct and indirect) in a given period per 100,000 women of reproductive age during the same time period
• SDG-Maternal Mortality Target: United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3.1) calls to reduce MMR to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.
• National Health Policy 2017 Target: MMR of 100/lakh Live Births by 2020.

Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) initiative for Zero Preventable Maternal and Newborn Deaths:

• The scheme aims to provide dignified and quality health care at no cost to every woman and newborn visiting a public health facility in order to bring down maternal and infant mortality rates in the country,
• Under the scheme, pregnant women, mothers up to 6 months after delivery and all sick newborns will be able to avail free healthcare benefits such as four antenatal check-ups and six home-based newborn care visits.
• The scheme will enable zero expense access to the identification and management of complications during and after the pregnancy.
• The government will also provide free transport from home to health institutions.
• The pregnant women will also have a zero expense delivery and C-section facility in case of complications at public health facilities.