Decline in Maternal Mortality Ratio

• 17 Jul 2020

Why in News

Recently, the Office of the Registrar General’s Sample Registration System (SRS) has released a special bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2016-18.

• As per the World Health Organization, maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management.

The Office of the Registrar General

• It is under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Apart from conducting the Population Census and monitoring the implementation of the Registration of Births and Deaths in the country, it has been giving estimates on fertility and mortality using the Sample Registration System (SRS).
• SRS is the largest demographic sample survey in the country that among other indicators provide direct estimates of maternal mortality through a nationally representative sample.
• Verbal Autopsy (VA) instruments are administered for the deaths reported under the SRS on a regular basis to yield a cause-specific mortality profile in the country.

Key Points

• Maternal Mortality Ratio of the Country:
  
  • MMR has declined to 113 in 2016-18 from 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016.
  • MMR is defined as the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 1,00,000 live births during the same time period.
  • The target 3.1 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations aims at reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births.
• MMR of Various States:
  
  • Assam (215), Uttar Pradesh (197), Madhya Pradesh (173), Rajasthan (164), Chhattisgarh (159), Odisha (150), Bihar (149), and Uttarakhand (99).
  • The southern States registered a lower MMR — Karnataka (92), Andhra Pradesh (65), Tamil Nadu (60), Telangana (63) and Kerala (43).
• Government Initiatives:
  
  • Janani Suraksha Yojana under the National Health Mission to link cash assistance to institutional deliveries.
  • The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides a fixed day for assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care free of cost to pregnant women on 9^th of every month.
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and LaQshya Guidelines.

Way Forward

• Maternal mortality in a region is a measure of reproductive health of women in the area.
• The WHO has already appreciated India’s efforts in reducing the maternal mortality rate. India needs to give a special focus to states with higher maternal mortality ratio.

Source: TH