The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has significantly reduced infant and under-five mortality rates across India, saving an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 infant lives annually, according to a study published in Nature magazine earlier this year.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda shared these findings in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
Highlighting the impact of the mission, Nadda referred to the Sample Registration System (SRS) report from the Registrar General of India, which recorded a sharp decline in Infant Mortality Rates (IMR) between 2014 and 2020.
Andhra Pradesh’s IMR dropped from 39 to 24 per 1,000 live births, while Telangana saw a reduction from 35 to 21 per 1,000 live births during the same period.
Integrated interventions for child survival
The Union health ministry is supporting all states and Union territories under the National Health Mission (NHM) to implement the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition strategy.
The strategy, guided by the Annual Programme Implementation Plan (APIP), aims to improve child survival through a series of targeted interventions.
Key measures include promoting institutional deliveries via cash incentives under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and entitlements under the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK).
Additionally, neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), special newborn care units (SNCUs), and newborn stabilisation units (NBSUs) have been established to care for sick and underweight infants.
Home-Based Care of Young Child (HBYC), provided by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), encourages best practices in child-rearing.
Other significant initiatives include the Mothers’ Absolute Affection (MAA) programme, which promotes exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and the Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) campaign, which addresses pneumonia through early screening and treatment.
The use of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and zinc for managing diarrhoea in children, along with strengthened paediatric care at district hospitals, forms a cornerstone of the government’s approach.
Additionally, the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) provides health screening and early intervention for childhood defects, diseases, deficiencies, and developmental delays.
Nadda emphasised that the integration of these programmes under the NHM is contributing to significant improvements in child survival rates, reflecting the government’s commitment to safeguarding the health of future generations.
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