Under-five mortality rate on decline, says govt

All states have shown a decline in mortality rate among children under five years of age, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan said in Lok Sabha on Friday.

The government is implementing child health programme under National Health Mission to improve child survival and address factors contributing to infant and under-five mortality.

"All the states have shown decline in under five mortality during the last decade. The states that rank most poorly on under five mortality rate are Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Odisha," he told Lok Sabha.

Providing figures, he said under-five mortality rate declined from 69 per 1,000 live births in 2008 to 37 per 1,000 live births in 2017.

"During the same period, infant mortality rate at national level declined from 53 to 33," he added.

The minister also said that since the launch of National (Rural) Health Mission in 2005, an amount of Rs 68,195 crore has been released to states and Union Territories for reproductive and child health (RCH).