Year : 2006 | Volume : 73 | Issue : 6 | Page : 479-487
Child Survival in India
Jones Gareth1, Schultink Werner1, Babille Marzio2
1 Child Development and Nutrition, United Nations Children's Fund, India Country Office, New Delhi, India
2 Health, United Nations Children's Fund, India Country Office, New Delhi, India
About 2.1 million Indian children under 5 years of age die each year. In spite of reductions in child mortality rate over the past two decades, the rate remains high at 87 per 1000 live births. The main causes are diarrhoea, pneumonia, and for deaths among the neonates asphyxia, pre-term delivery, sepsis and tetanus.
The major underlying cause of death is undernutrition. Child survival interventions of proven impact, feasible for use at high coverage in India were identified, and their effect on child mortality was calculated if high coverage were to be achieved. Exclusive breastfeeding, oral rehydration therapy, and adequate complementary feeding were among the most effective interventions. If these interventions would be applied universally 57% of mortality among pre-schoolers could be prevented. No cause specific mortality data were available from individual Indian states. Nevertheless, the range of child mortality, as well as the proportion of neo-natal deaths, occurring across the states, suggests that at state level 50-70% of deaths can be prevented. The results show that the targets set in the millennium development goals as well as in the Tenth Five Year plan can be reached.
How to cite this article:
Jones G, Schultink W, Babille M. Child Survival in India. Indian J Pediatr 2006;73:479-487
How to cite source URL:
Jones G, Schultink W, Babille M. Child Survival in India. Indian J Pediatr [serial online] 2006 [cited 2006 Jul 3];73:479-487. Available from: http://www.ijppediatricsindia.org/article.asp?issn=0019-5456;year=2006;v...
