New Delhi: Maternal mortality rate in the country has declined to 301 per one lakh, the Centre said on Tuesday and announced incentives to encourage women to go for institutional delivery in six states where an alarming number of mothers continue to die at childbirth.
"The maternal mortality rate (MMR) has declined to 301 in 2001-03 as against 398 in 1997-98 and 327 in 1999-01," outgoing Health Secretary P K Hota told reporters here announcing the findings of a survey conducted by the Registrar General of India.
However, six states – Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa – with MMR ranging between 517 and 358 still remain a cause of concern, said Hota, who is retiring from service on Tuesday.
Hota also announced incentives from the Central Government to encourage pregnant women to get themselves admitted to hospitals for proper delivery in the six states.
"Expectant mothers opting for institutional delivery will be given Rs 2,000 each at the time of child birth," Hota said adding the money had to be given seven days before or seven days after the delivery.
Centre has also enhanced the incentives given to men and women opting for sterlisation.
"Rs 800 would be given to each of the men and women opting for tubectomy and vasectomy," Hota said adding that a part of the amount would go to the doctors to meet medicinal expenses for the patient.
He expressed the hope that the new schemes would lead to a further decline in MMR.
Hota said Uttar Pradesh, at 517, has the highest MMR in the country, closely followed by Assam (490).
In Rajasthan, 445 mothers per lakh die during child birth while the number is 379 in Madhya Pradesh. Bihar has a MMR of 371 and Orissa 358.
Kerala has bettered its MMR from 149 in 1991-01 to 110 in 2001-03, emerging at the top among states taking care of expectant women followed by Tamil Nadu (134) and Maharashtra (149).
Hota said social practices among Muslims result in lower rate of abortion and MMR in the community.
While MMR was found to be highest among Scheduled Castes, it was lowest in Christians, Hota said.
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the country also dropped marginally to 58 per one lakh in 2004 as against 60 in 2003.
Madhya Pradesh leads in the number of child deaths, with 79 out of one lakh infants dying soon after birth. It is followed by Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan that had the infant mortality rate of 77, 72 and 67 respectively.
Kerala had the lowest IMR of 12, followed by Maharashtra (36), Madhya Pradesh (40) and Tamil Nadu (41).
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