The Hindu : National : Maharashtra to handle child deaths in `mission mode'

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Friday, Jan 28, 2005

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Maharashtra to handle child deaths in `mission mode'

By Meena Menon

MUMBAI, JAN. 27. The Maharashtra Government is considering adoption of a "mission mode" to tackle the large number of child deaths and cases of severely malnourished children. Official sources said that handling the issue in a "mission mode," in a focussed manner, would be the best way to tackle the problem.

For the last 14 years, the percentage of children with severe malnutrition has not reduced, according to a report submitted by the Evaluation Committee on Child Deaths set up by the Health Department of the State Government in December 2003. The first report of the committee, chaired by Abhay Bang, was tabled in the Legislative Council on December 18, 2004. The Government has reportedly agreed with the contents of the report, which was also submitted to the Bombay High Court when it intervened suo motu last year after reading reports of numerous child deaths.

According to the report, while the Central Governmentestimates the annual number of child deaths in Maharashtra at 1,20,000, an NGO study puts it at 1,75,000. The committee does not favour either of these estimates but says that no one disputes the lower estimate of 1,20,000 deaths which is shockingly high enough.

The infant mortality rate (IMR) in the State is 45 per 1,000 live births but it is a high 80 in tribal areas, 64 in rural areas and 68 in urban slums. The reduction of IMR has reached stagnation levels. In four years, it has come down from 48 to 45, although the State Government hopes to reduce it to 15 by 2010. Nearly 50 per cent of children in Maharashtra are moderately or severely malnourished and in tribal areas this proportion is nearly 75 per cent with 14 per cent severely malnourished, the report says.

Officials in the Health and Women and Child Departments have already submitted recommendations for a "mission mode" approach.Sources said that special attention needed to be paid to reduce the number of child deaths.The issue is also one of political will and motivation. For instance, Mr. V. Ramani, now Secretary, women and child welfare, used the government's Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to improve the situation in Aurangabad.

While the Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, apparently agrees with the approach, plans have not yet been finalised. The Government must account for every child death, says Dr. Bang. He told The Hindu that something more than the routine approach was needed in a sustained and widespread manner to address the problem.

Dr. Bang's report also points out that information gathered by the government is highly incomplete and flawed. The government is reporting only 20-40 per cent of child deaths and only seven per cent of the true figure of the severely malnourished children.

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