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India accounts for 20% child mortality in the world
A media meet on ‘Reporting on Maternal and Child Health’ was held on Tuesday at Hotel Marigold, Ameerpet. The meet, organised by UNICEF and Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), was to focus on pertinent issues and discussions relating to health of mothers and children in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
A media meet on ‘Reporting on Maternal and Child Health’ was held on Tuesday at Hotel Marigold, Ameerpet. The meet, organised by UNICEF and Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), was to focus on pertinent issues and discussions relating to health of mothers and children in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The meet coincided with the silver jubilee celebrations of CRC.
Prosun Sen, advocacy and communication specialist, UNICEF; Dr Sanjeev Upadhyaya, health specialist, UNICEF; Dr Laxmi Bhawani, nutrition specialist, UNICEF; Dr Jaya Sridhar, professor of health journalism, Asian School of Journalism, Chennai; and Anita Medasani from CRC attended the event.
Dr Sanjeev Upadhyaya said, “Focussing on the first twenty-eight days of life – the neonatal period – would have the maximum impact in saving newborns, and bringing down the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). The mortality rate of the children under the age group of 5 years is high in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in compare to south Indian states."
In India about 1.83 million children under the age of five die annually, which accounts for around 20 per cent of child mortality in the world. It is globally recognised that children who are undernourished, not optimally breastfed, or suffering from micronutrient deficiencies have substantially lower chances of survival. They are more likely to suffer from serious infections and common childhood illnesses.
The major challenge for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is to combat the Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) that stands at 27 per 1,000 live births, contributing to approximately 65 per cent of all infant deaths. Over four in ten of under-five children are stunted. It is a result of prolonged nutritional deprivation that often results in delayed mental development, poor performance at school and reduced intellectual capacity.
Dr Jaya Shreedhar, an eminent media expert, said, “Maternal and child deaths are only the symptom of a much deeper set of socioeconomic problems. Data on maternal health is only part of the story; journalists need to dig deeper and uncover the links between poor maternal and child health and deprivation in various forms that leads to poor access to information, health services, and nutrition.”
