State launches special plan to cut maternal, infant deaths

Vijayawada: The state government is formulating a comprehensive special action plan to further reduce maternal and infant mortality in the state, with a focused assessment of the quality of existing healthcare services at the district level, medical and health minister Y Satyakumar Yadav announced here on Wednesday.

The minister stated in a statement here on Wednesday that the action plan will identify the key causes leading to maternal deaths and infant deaths, particularly among newborns, and also examine even minor gaps in medical practices followed by doctors and healthcare staff. Based on these findings, corrective measures, clear guidelines, and practical recommendations will be issued to ensure such lapses are not repeated.

As part of this initiative, the government has constituted district-wise inspection teams comprising three doctors each. These teams will conduct in-depth studies across districts, focusing on gap analysis at all levels of healthcare delivery, from antenatal care to postnatal and child health services.

To guide the inspection teams, a special workshop was held in Vijayawada on Wednesday, as per the directions of Health and family welfare commissioner Veerapandian.

Additional director (maternal and child health) Dr Anil Kumar and joint director Dr L B S H Devi briefed the teams on government initiatives and priority areas.

Unicef health specialists Sridhar and Salima, MCH consultant Nagendra, and WHO Delhi representatives Dr Deepankar and Dr Vikas provided detailed guidance on conducting studies under the India Newborn Action Plan framework.

Providing statistical context, the minister said that 19 infants per 1,000 live births die in Andhra Pradesh, which is lower than the national average of 25 per 1,000.

However, of the 19 infant deaths in the state, 16 occur within the first 28 days after birth, indicating a critical need to focus on neonatal care. Similar trends are observed at the national level, where neonatal deaths form a major share of infant mortality.

Special emphasis will therefore be placed on deaths occurring within the first 28 days, with studies planned to identify causes related to pre-delivery, delivery, and post-delivery stages. Changes in the reporting system for neonatal and infant deaths will also be proposed as part of the action plan to ensure more accurate and timely data.

With the support of Unicef and the World Health Organization (WHO), the Health Department is following the India Newborn Action Plan (INAP) framework issued by the Centre. The assessment will focus on healthcare services being provided to pregnant women, mothers, and newborns in hospitals, as well as delivery practices and postnatal care.

Under this programme, special inspection teams consisting of paediatricians, gynaecologists, and Social & Preventive Medicine (SPM) specialists will visit all government hospitals in the districts, along with district medical and health offices.

They will collect detailed information on services provided to pregnant women, newborns, and children up to five years of age, including data on neonatal deaths. Feedback will also be gathered directly from pregnant women and mothers regarding the clinical care they receive.

Based on the findings, status reports from each district will be submitted to the State Medical, Health and Family Welfare Department headquarters. These will be consolidated to prepare a state-level action plan.