The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the Union Territory has registered a sharp decline due to effective antenatal and newborn care programmes giving it top ranking among UTs and third overall in the country, the Health Department said on Wednesday.
In a press statement, Dr. J. Allirani, Deputy Director, Family Welfare and Maternal and Child Health, said the IMR has declined from 22 (deaths per 1,000 live births) to 11 according to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) data over the last five years up to 2015.
The IMR had been on a declining trend over the past decade, dropping from 28 in 2006 to 22 in 2010, 17 in 2013 and 11 in 2015.
“The milestone was possible because of the tireless efforts of the family welfare programmes and the concerted cooperation of allied departments,” Dr. Allirani said.
Infant Mortality Rate is seen as a sensitive indicator of socio-economic and health conditions in a country/region and reducing IMR has been a permanent ethical and policy concern of the Union Territory.
Healthcare programmes
The various programmes launched by the Health and Family Welfare Department, Puducherry, towards this goal included a host of programmes and activities regarding family welfare, maternity and child health and altruistic services addressing complex factors contributing to IMR such as antenatal care, intranatal care, prenatal care and newborn care and safety.
The singular challenge of high neonatal mortality (death within one week of birth) was addressed by delivering quality antenatal and postnatal care across clinics in respect of maternity and child health and related programmes and holding special camps.
District hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres and sub centres motivated counselled patients on undertaking clinical test and counselling frequently, periodical medical checkups, intake of nutritional supplements and engaging in physical exercise with the advice of the doctor. Comprehensive follow-up care was also provided to mothers post delivery and newborns.
Focused interventions
According to Dr. Allirani, other multi-pronged and focused interventions to substantially reduce the neonatal mortality included upgrading healthcare facilities available in District Hospital, extending postnatal care to pregnant mothers and newborn babies across community health centres and primary health centres and nearly eliminating non institutional deliveries.
Apart from training Auxillary Nurse Midwife personnel in comprehensive antenatal care, pregnant mothers suspected of having inadequate foetal weight and other high risk parameters were referred for a detailed examination by a specialist in Obstetrics. Anganwadi workers were also trained to select deserving antenatal mothers for the nutrition meal programmes and free 24/7 ambulance facilities provided in rural areas to transport pregnant women to maternity institutions, the deputy director said.
