There has been a four-point decline in the Under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) during 2013-14, said Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Tuesday."Recent data from the Registrar General of India (RGI) for the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) for the year 2014 indicates 8.16 per cent decline in under-five mortality (during 2013-2014) as compared to 5.76 per cent decline during 2012-2013," said Nadda addressing media at the Health Ministry here."Focussed, committed and targeted interventions of the government have borne positive fruits in 2014. The Under-5 Child Mortality has fallen by a significant four points during 2013-14," Nadda said. According to the Health Ministry, the U5MR in 2014 was 45 compared to U5MR in 2013, which stood at 49 indicating a 4 point decline. "While the decline between 2012-13 was by three points ( it was 52 in 2012 and 49 in 2013).
This implies that about 1.26 lakh additional under-five deaths have been averted in 2014," said Nadda, adding that India is set to achieve MDG4 target of under-five mortality of 42 per 1000 live births in 2015 considering the significant progress in 2014.
Nadda said that the significant point decline in the U5MR has been recorded in 15 states -- Assam (7), UP (7), Rajasthan (6), Chattisgarh (4), Delhi (5), Gujarat (4), Haryana(5), Odisha (6), Himachal Pradesh (5), Jammu and Kashmir (5), Jharkhand (4), Karnataka (4), Madhya Pradesh (4), Punjab (4) and West Bengal (5). The data from the ministry also revealed that 16 out of 20 states have shown a decline of more than and equal to 3 points."Moreover, the rural urban differential in under-five mortality is reduced to 23 points in comparison to 26 points in 2013 indicating good progress in rural areas.The success has been possible due to dedicated efforts during the neonatal period through establishment of special new-born care units (SNCU), systematic home visits by ASHA workers," said Nadda.