Despite Considerable Progress, India Will Miss Millennium Development Goal Targets

The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were framed to address the world's major development challenges with health and its related areas as the prime focus. Despite having achieved considerable progress in reducing infant and under-five mortality rates, India is way behind in achieving the MDG targets, revealed the National Health Profile 2015. The union report released by Health Minister J.P. Nadda suggests that the Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) has declined from an estimated level of 125 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 52 in 2012. The report said, "Given the rate of reduction of U5MR, India tends to reach the rate of 49 by 2015 as per the historical trend, missing the MDG target by seven percentage points. However, considering the continuance of the sharper annual rate of decline witnessed in the recent years, India is likely to achieve the target."

As far as the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is concerned, it reduced by nearly 50% during 1990-2012 and the present level stands at 42. If this trend continues, the IMR is likely to reach 40 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2015, missing the MDG target of 27 by 13 points.

India has to reduce the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) from an estimated level of 437 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 109 per 100,000 live births by 2015. But, at the current pace of decrease, it would be able to reach an MMR of 140 per 100,000 live births by end 2015, falling short by 31.

Nadda also released an e-book of the report and said, "It is part of the many digital initiatives being taken by the government."

Health Secretary B.K. Sharma said, "Data lets you plan. We need to collect data and that too at regular intervals."

Source-IANS