Battling to save its new borns, Haryana plans bringing Infant Mortality Rate down to single digit before 2025

Expressing concern over Haryana’s Infant Mortality Rate, the state government has said that it is preparing an action plan in a bid to save more new borns in the state.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Ram Niwas, presided over a 2-day state level workshop to prepare Newborn Action Plan (HNAP). He expressed concern over the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) saying that at present it is 41 per thousand live births in the state, which is more than the national IMR of 40 per thousand live births.

“Similarly the Neonatal mortality and early neonatal mortality rate of the state are 26 per thousand live births and 19 per thousand live birth respectively, two points below the national average of 28 and 21 per thousand live birth. The majority of deaths during the first year of life occur by first month and many of them are preventable. Therefore, these require simple, cost-effective interventions before and immediately after delivery. These would be strengthened in the state. The Haryana Newborn Action Plan would help in reducing the deaths due to preventable cause,” Niwas said.

According to PTI, he said that the government is confident of reducing the newborn (from birth to 28 days) mortality rate to single digit before 2025. HNAP will be prepared with the help of experts, he said, adding that gaps in services including manpower, equipment, medicines and skill will be identified for each facility of districts and would be rectified in next couple of months.

“State will be doing extensive monitoring of these activities and special focus will be given to high priority districts,” he said. The workshop was attended by Civil Surgeons and District Child Health Officers from all the 21 districts of Haryana, Principal Medical Officers, Medical Superintendents, District Maternal Health Officers, Paediatrician and gynaecologists.

In addition, various experts from Government of India, World Health Organisation, US agency for International Development (USAID), Non Governmental Organisations like SWACH Foundation, professional organisations like Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), Federation of Gynaecologists and Obstetrician Society of India (FoGSI), Professors from prestigious medical colleges like PGIMER, Chandigarh, PGIMS, Rohtak and GMCH Sector 32, Chandigarh also attended the workshop, Niwas said.

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