Despite the implementation of various Central and State-sponsored schemes, more than 12,000 newborns are dying in the State annually, as are at least 650 pregnant or post-natal mothers.
According to statistics from the Department of Health and Family Welfare, 44,630 newborns died in the State between April 01, 2013 and November 16, 2016. As many as 2,433 pregnant or post-natal mothers died in this same period.
The infant mortality was 12,560 in 2013-14 and 12,621 in 2014-15. Likewise, the State witnessed 11,438 deaths in 2015-16 and 8,011 till November 16, 2016 the following year. Over 45% of the deaths occurred within 2-15 days of birth, a senior official of the department said.
The data reveals that cases of infant mortality have seen an alarming rise in 10 districts, where over 50% of the deaths in Karnataka happened — Belagavi (1,163 deaths in 2015-16), Ballari (627), Vijayapura (815), Chitradurga (449), Dharwad (588), Kalaburagi (559), Koppal (518), Mysuru (508), Shivamogga (505) and Yadgir (400). That year, there were 93 infant deaths in Kodagu and 56 in Bengaluru Rural district.
Mother deaths
The official told The Hindu that 722 women lost their lives during or immediately after delivery in 2013-14. There were 645 deaths in 2014-15, 635 in 2015-16 and 431 till November in 2016-17.
In 2015-16, a high number of deaths were reported in Belagavi (81), Dharwad (44), Ballari (40), Raichur (30) and Kalaburagi (39).
Superstitious beliefs, non-availability of nutritious food, child marriage, poverty, congenital anomaly, teenage pregnancy, lack of awareness about the importance of health, premature delivery and pregnancy-associated health ailments are the major reasons for mortality of expectant mothers, post-natal mothers and newborns, said Bettaswamy, Reproductive Child Health Officer.
According to senior health officials in Mysuru and Tumakuru, the State government recently asked the officials concerned to take measures to launch intensive and more sustained efforts to prevent such deaths.
Ratio
The current infant mortality ratio in Karnataka is 174 (for 1,00,000 deliveries). The department aims to bring it down to 134 by 2020, the official said.
According to the official, there will be efforts to educate women against multiple deliveries in a short time, and for early registration of pregnant women in rural areas. There will be continuous follow-up on the health of pregnant women and they will be encouraged to go for institutional deliveries and utilise all the healthcare schemes to reduce newborn and post-natal mortality.
