IMR Feat, Challenges

Significant gains are worth celebrating. Jammu and Kashmir’s infant mortality rate (IMR) has reduced from 52 (2005) to 22 (2018)—23 Rural and 20 Urban, according to the latest data released by the Registrar General of India in the SRS bulletin last week.
The J&K’s IMR is significantly better when compared to the national level of 32 infant deaths per thousand live births for the year 2018. Nationally it is about one-fourth as compared to 1971 (129 infant deaths per thousand live births).
Not only in Jammu and Kashmir but IMR has also witnessed a decline of about 35% in rural areas and about 32% in urban areas in India in the last ten years.
While selective achievements are important, they cannot always be a sign of overall progress. The J&K’s IMR, which is widely accepted as a crude indicator of the overall health scenario of a region, seems very low when compared to Kerala which as per the latest data is 7, New Delhi 13, and Tamil Nadu 15.
Defined as the infant deaths (less than one year) per thousand live births in a given time period and for a given region, the IMR of 22 for J&K has been officially credited to special newborn care units (SNCUs) established in 27 districts and other equivalent hospitals, three NICUs, newborn stabilisation units (NBSUs) and newborn care corners (NBCCs) set up in 264 delivery points with financial and technical support from the National Health Mission.
While the government celebrated the new feat, it is heartening to note that it aims at bringing the IMR in the J&K to a single digit by 2022. For it, the government has claimed to have an action plan developed which is being implemented at various levels. The two years’ time set to achieve what would be a remarkable feat would require a lot of effort on many counts and there is no room for complacency. There are connected issues such as malnutrition among women and children which is a persistent problem in India and J&K is no exception even though it’s not among laggards. Unfortunately, the present pandemic is going to see the problem of under-nutrition especially among poor to aggregate.
To achieve what is being sought to be achieved, the government needs to focus on nutrition for women during pregnancy with improved vigor. There is a need to have effective systems devised to monitor pregnant women and newborns closely for signs of any distress. It is also important that society plays its role as the government alone cannot achieve the feat.

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