Child mortality-The Hindu-17-08-2022

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Geography

Context: India has taken rapid strides in reducing child mortality since 2014 from 45 per 1,000
live births to 35 per 1,000 live births in 2019.

What do you mean by Child Mortality?

Child mortality or the under-five mortality rate refers to the probability of a child dying between birth and exactly 5 years of age, expressed per 1,000 live births.

Cause of child Mortality :

Preterm birth complications (18%)
Pneumonia (16%)
Intrapartum-related events (12%)
Neonatal sepsis (7%)
Diarrhoea (8%)
Malaria (5%)
Malnutrition (34%)

Government initiatives to tackle child Mortality :

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna (PMMVY) to improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age group 0-6 years.
The Anganwadi Services scheme provides a package of six services i.e. Supplementary Nutrition, Pre School Non-formal Education, Nutrition and Health Education, Immunization, Health checkups and referral services.
Strengthening essential newborn care at all delivery points, the establishment of Sick Newborn Care Units (SNCU), Newborn Stabilization Units (NBSU) and Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) units for the care of sick and small babies.
Home Based Newborn Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care of Young Children (HBYC) by ASHAs to improve child-rearing practices and to identify sick new-born and young children.
Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is being supported to provide vaccination to children against life-threatening diseases such as Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Measles, Rubella, Pneumonia and Meningitis caused by Haemophilus Influenzae B.
Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy as a part of Poshan Abhiyan aims to strengthen the existing mechanisms and foster newer strategies to tackle anaemia, which include testing & treatment of anaemia in school-going adolescents & pregnant women, addressing non-nutritional causes of anaemia and a comprehensive communication strategy.