Decline in infant mortality in Orissa-Routray

Bhubaneswar, Apr 25 (UNI) Orissa health and family affairs minister Bijayashree Routray today claimed the infant mortality rate in the state has declined to 77 per thousand.

Orissa had the dubious distinction of the highest infant mortality rate among the states in the country but there has been a great change ever since the government undertaken the Nabajyoti and Janani Surakhya schemes to reduce the infant mortality.

Mr Routray told reporters here that the infant mortality which stood at 87 per thousand in 2002 was reduced to 83 in 2003. In the subsequent year it came down six per cent further as against the all India average of two per cent.

He said the latest survey report revealed that the infant mortality in Orissa has come down to 77 in 2004. The state government, he said, had now set a target to further reduce it to 60 by 2010.

UNI DP PC/SRC1953