PM Modi calls for reducing mother and child mortality rates

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday declared new measures to ensure decrease in infant and maternal mortality rates.

"The mortality rate is very high among mothers and children. We have tried to improve, but the number of deaths has not come down," said Prime Minister Modi during his 11th Mann ki Baat programme on All India Radio.

He pointed out that more than 50,000 mothers and nearly 13 lakh infants die annually during delivery, or soon after delivery.

"To decrease maternal and infant mortality rate, a 'Call To Action' programme comprising 24 countries came to India to analyse the situation. Such an event happened for the first time outside the USA," he added.

Modi further said that the nation needs to replicate the anti-polio drive in saving both pregnant mothers and infants.

He further urged the nation to maintain cleanliness to evade the spread of dengue.

"Dengue is dangerous, but prevention is easy if we take care of cleanliness in small things. Apathy to cleanliness becomes the invitation for death. This is not acceptable," he said.

"We must not make death so cheap," he added.

According to reports, New Delhi reported 477 cases of dengue fever in August, the highest number since 2010, bringing the total number of cases this year to more than 530. The capital reported over 6,000 cases of mosquito-borne diseases in 2010.