As per Registrar General of India, medical reasons for infant mortality include prenatal conditions, respiratory infections, diarrheal disease, congenital anomalies and other infectious and parasitic diseases.
As ‘Health’ is a state subject, the State Governments are required to shoulder the primary responsibility in this regard.
However, the efforts of States are being supplemented with central assistance under the National Rural Health Mission, now expanded into a National Health Mission, covering urban areas as well.
Reducing infant mortality is a thrust area under the National Health Mission and key strategies include promotion of institutional delivery through Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), strengthening facility based care for sick infants including free entitlements under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK).
Home based new born care through visits by ASHAs, introduction of child health screening for 4Ds i.e. defects at birth, deficiencies, diseases, development delays and their management under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), capacity building of health care providers to upgrade their skills to manage common new born and childhood diseases and vaccination of children against seven vaccine preventable diseases under the Universal Immunization Programme.
This was stated by Shri. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Heath and Family Welfare, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today.
