In a significant milestone, the Union Territory of J&K has been able to achieve ‘remarkable improvement’ in multiple indicators related to maternal and child health in the recent years.
In a single year the Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) in the UT has decreased from 21 to 17 points per 1000 live births, Neo natal Mortality rate from 15 to 12, Early Neo Natal Mortality Rate from 10 to 08 and Sex Ratio at birth increased from 918 to 921 as per the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2020 released on 22nd September 2022 by Registrar General of India (RGI).
It is pertinent to mention that UT of J&K has already achieved the global target of reducing under-five mortality rate to less than 25 per 1000 live births much ahead of the global target. Jammu and Kashmir showed an “incremental” performance in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of good health and well being of people.
The entire Health and Medical Education Department with active support from National Health Mission (NHM) has put strenuous efforts to provide essential newborn care at public health institutions across the Union Territory through Facility Based & Home Based Newborn Care Interventions. The progress in scaling up the interventions to save the lives of the newborn has substantially accelerated during recent times leading to significant improvement in various Health Indicators.
One of the comprehensive measures in this regard includes an action plan devised by Health & Medical Education Department with support from Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare & NIPI in the form of Road Map for reducing IMR in the J&K UT to single digit. The action plan is being implemented at all the levels and focuses on the community based and facility based interventions for accelerating rate of decline in Infant Mortality through strengthening of maternal & child health programmes. Moreover adequate infrastructure is being built under Emergency COVID Response Package which in long run will help to further improve various health indicators across the Union Territory.
Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department, Bhupinder Kumar, has appreciated the efforts of National Health Mission, J&K; Govt. Medical Colleges; Directorate of Health Services, Family Welfare, AYUSH all the field functionaries including doctors, paramedical staff, ASHA workers & Programme Management Unit staff for their continued efforts to improve maternal and new born care in the State which has resulted in landmark achievement in further reduction of child mortality rates. He stressed for sustained efforts in future for better quality health care service delivery so as to further improve the maternal and child health indicators in the coming years.
