New Delhi, October 9 (IANS). The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Wednesday recognized India’s unparalleled progress in maternal health and family planning. During this, India was awarded for reducing Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) by 70% between 2000 and 2020.
Maternal mortality rate means the number of deaths during pregnancy or childbirth for every 1 lakh live births. This includes mothers who die within 42 days of delivery, miscarriage or termination of pregnancy.
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) set by the United Nations by 2030 is to bring the maternal mortality rate below 70.
Dr. Natalia Kenem, Executive Director of UNFPA, praised the achievement, saying, “This has saved the lives of thousands of women across the country, especially those from marginalized communities.”
On this occasion, he honored the Union Health Secretary, Punya Salila Srivastava by giving him a certificate and insignia.
He further said, “This will help India achieve the target of reducing maternal mortality rate to below 70 before 2030.”
India’s maternal mortality rate has declined by a massive 82.5% between 1990 and 2020.
This success is the result of targeted efforts of the government. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched several schemes to improve maternal health and prevent maternal deaths. These include ‘Safe Motherhood Assurance Scheme’, ‘Pradhan Mantri Safe Motherhood Campaign’, and ‘Midwifery Services Initiative’.
India has already achieved Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 2.0 in 31 States/UTs. However, this target has not been achieved in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, and Manipur. TFR means the average number of children born per woman.
India’s fertility rate is expected to decline from 1.96 to 1.69 by the beginning of the next century.
Total fertility rate 2.2 represents the level where the population remains stable. If it falls below this, the population may decline, although the population may continue to grow for some time due to increased life expectancy and greater numbers of young females.
–IANS
AS/
