Deaths of under-Five Children

Information on death of children aged 1 to 5 is not maintained at the Central level.

As per the study named “Causes of neonatal and child mortality in India: a nationally representative mortality survey” published in British medical journal ‘Lancet’ based on Registrar General of India survey of deaths occurring in 2001–03, major causes of child deaths were pneumonia, pre-maturity and low birth weight, diarrhoeal diseases, neonatal infection and birth trauma.

Under the National Rural Health Mission, the following key interventions are being implemented to bring down the mortality rate of children across all the States of the country:

i. Promotion of Institutional Delivery through Janani Suraksha Yojana JSY: Promoting Institutional delivery by skilled birth attendant is key to reducing both maternal and neo-natal mortality.

ii. Emphasis on facility based newborn care at different levels to reduce Child Mortality: Setting up of facilities for care of Sick Newborn such as Special New Born Care Units (SNCUs), New Born Stabilization Units (NBSUs) and New Born Baby Corners (NBCCs) at different levels is a thrust area under NRHM.

iii. Capacity building of health care providers: Various trainings are being conducted under NRHM to train doctors, nurses and ANM for early diagnosis and case management of common ailments of children and care of mother during pregnancy and delivery. These trainings are on IMNCI, NSSK, SBA, LSAS, EMOC, BMOC etc.

iv. Management of Malnutrition: 761 Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) have been established for management of severe acute malnutrition.

v. Appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding practices are being promoted in convergence with Ministry of Woman and Child Development. Village Health and Nutrition Days VHNDs are organized for imparting nutritional counselling to mothers and to improve child care practices.

vi. Universal Immunization Programme: Vaccination protects children against many life threatening diseases such as Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Measles. Infants are thus immunized against seven vaccine preventable diseases every year. The Government of India supports the vaccine programme by supply of vaccines and syringes, Cold chain equipments and provision of operational costs.

vii. Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram JSSK: A new initiative namely Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram JSSK has been launched on 1st June, 2011, which entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely free and no expense delivery including Caesarean section. The initiative stipulates free drugs, diagnostics, blood and diet, besides free transport from home to institution, between facilities in case of a referral and drop back home. Similar entitlements have been put in place for all sick infants accessing public health institutions for treatment till one year of age.

viii. Home based new born care HBNC: Home based newborn care through ASHAs has been initiated by providing incentive of Rs. 250. The purpose of Home Based New Born Care is to improve new born practices at the community level and early detection and referral of sick new born babies.

ix. Mother and Child Tracking System: A name based Mother and Child Tracking System has been put in place which is web based to ensure registration and tracking of all pregnant women and new born babies so that provision of regular and complete services to them can be ensured.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

BN/BK/HB
(Release ID :98757)