Maternal mortality reduced by 24% during 1997 to 2001: report

New Delhi, Oct 31 (UNI) The maternal mortality rate has been found to have declined by 24 percent from 398 in 1997-98 to 301 in 2001-02, a report released here today revealed.

The report titled 'Maternal Mortality in India: 1997-2003- Trends, Causes and Risk Factors' revealed that the leading cause of maternal mortality have been haemorrhage about 38 percent, sepsis- eleven percent and abortion-eight percent.

The number of maternal deaths in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal (Empowered Action Group) and in Assam are higher than the other states. It was lowest in Southern states, the report released by Union Home Secretary V K Duggal and Health Secretary P K Hota said.

The decline in maternal mortality, a major concern for the government and policy makers, is good news as it would help the country achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Of the 24 percent decline during the period 16 percent relative decline was experienced in the eight Empowered Action Group states and in Assam. In contrast MMR has fallen by seven percent in the Southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, According to the report brought out by the Registrar General of India, in about 26 million births in 2004, nearly 78000 maternal deaths are estimated in that year. However, in a country of India's size, levels of maternal mortality vary greatly across the regions due to variations in underlying access to emergency obstetrical care, prenatal care, anaemia rates and education levels among women.

In 2001-03, the lifetime risk of a women dying in childbirth is 1.8 percent in the EAG states and in Assam, O.4 percent in southern states and 0.6 percent in other states. Low level of education among females specifically enhances the risk of maternal death appreciably.

About 28 percent of all births in 2003 occur in private or public institutions and medical attention at delivery reduces the risk of maternal mortality. So to achieve the targets under the MDGs, National Commission on Population and the National Rural Health Mission rapid expansion of institutional births and skilled attendence especially in the EAG states and in Assam would be required, it pointed out.

The report has estimated that the projected MMR would in the range of 195 to 231 by 2012. A stronger programme to increase institutional and/or medical attendence at delivery in low performing states and in communities having high MMR can accelerate the rate of decline.

The data on maternal mortality has been scarce and most of the estimates in the past had been based on indirect methods. The present report is based on direct estimates and the data has been collected from the largest nationally representative demographic sample survey--Sample Registration System. A total of 4484 maternal deaths from among 1.3 million births to 14.4 million females in ages 15 to 49 were studied during 1997-2003 to prepare the report.

UNI AJ RP DS1650