Chennai, 15 May (IANS). According to the Latest Civil Registration System (CRS) report of the Registrar General of India, 10,170 infant deaths were recorded in Tamil Nadu in 2021, which is about 7.4 percent of 1.36 lakh infant deaths recorded across India that year.
The state is among the top six in the country in terms of infant mortality data.
Despite these figures, Tamil Nadu has made considerable progress in reducing infant mortality.
The state health department recently reported a significant decline in the infant mortality rate (IMR), which was slightly higher in 2023.
However, public health experts have expressed concern about different interpretation of data.
Former Public Health Director Dr. K.K. Kolandaswamy said that Tamil Nadu’s location in the top six in the country reflects its efficient registration system rather than poor health results. “The figures are accurate, but they should be read with reference,” he said.
The CRS report shows that Tamil Nadu is among the 11 states and union territories where more than 90 percent of the deaths have been recorded within the prescribed 21-day period.
Dr. Kolandaswamy emphasized the importance of considering other sources such as the Sample Registration System (SRS) and maternal death audit for the complete picture of child health in the state.
Infant deaths from urban areas were judged. Out of a total of 10,170 deaths, more than 9,100 deaths were reported from small towns and towns.
Chennai had the highest number of 1,731 deaths, followed by 935 deaths in Madurai and 816 in Salem.
Urban-rural division is particularly clear. For example, in Thanjavur district, only six infant deaths were reported from rural areas, while 741 deaths occurred in urban parts – 123 times the difference.
Similar trends were seen in Vellore, Coimbatore and Salem.
In districts like Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Tirupattur, zero infant deaths were reported in rural areas, while urban calculations were 50, 4 and 25 respectively.
Dr. Kolandaswamy explained this pattern, pointing to the infrastructure of healthcare and treating treatment.
He said, “Most delivery and newborn remedies are in urban centers, where NICUs are located. Even rural patients often travel to cities for care.”
Stillbarth data reflected this trend. Out of 7,288 dead births recorded in 2021, more than 6,400 were in urban areas.
While CRS data underlines the strength of Tamil Nadu in death registration, it also highlights the constant need to address the health of newborns in both urban and rural contexts in about 100 million population of the state.
-IANS
MT/KR
