Andhra Pradesh targets mortality rate

Hyderabad: To bring down the maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate in AP, a comprehensive information system is being developed whereby stages of pregnant mothers will be monitored.
The infant mortality rate (IMR) is 41 per 1,000 births and maternal mortality rate (MMR) is 90 per 1,000 births per year. In a bid to reduce the same, an informative programme is being designed so that the IMR can be brought down by 25 and MMR by 80 by 2016-17.

Keeping in mind the difficulty of achieving this target, AP health minister Kamineni Srinivas called on experts in healthcare sector to give suggestions to improve the methods of communication so that women and their family members seek the right help.

Sources said there was a strong need to have the right communication through public health centres and private gynecologists so that women get the right help. Malnutrition among pregnant mothers continues to remain a challenge and that needs to be tackled effectively.

At the same time, majority of the deaths are due to the child being underweight. Proper diagnosis during the various stages of pregnancy and availability of medicines is the key to resolving the problem. For this the government has to ensure that the pregnant women are on their information list and there are counselors to guide them through the various stages so that they seek help to ensure that their child is born healthy.