Kerala's Infant Mortality Rate Drops Drastically To 5; India's TFR To 1.9
In a significant achievement of improving life standards, Kerala has gained another milestone by securing an Infant Mortality Rate of 5, which is even less than the United States (5.6) and 5 times less than the national average of 25. The data was revealed by the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2023.
As per the report, India’s IMR has reached a record low of 25, which is far below 40 in 2013.
Notably, IMR is a key public health indicator, defined as the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1,000 Live births.
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The neonatal mortality rate of the state has also fallen below 4, as against the national average of 18, an achievement equivalent to the developed countries, the report mentions.
As per the SRS report 2023, India’s Crude Birth Rate (CBR), the number of children born per 1,000 people in a year, has declined by 0.7 points from 19.1 in 2022 to 18.4 in 2023.
The report by the Office of the Registrar General of India revealed that the highest CBR was in Bihar at 25.8, while the lowest was in Tamil Nadu at 12.
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen to 1.9 for the first time in two years. In 2021 and 2022, India’s TFR remained the same at 2.0.
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Bihar reported the highest TFR at 2.8 among the bigger states and UTs, while Delhi reported the lowest (1.2).
The country’s Crude Death Rate was also observed at 6.4 in 2023, a 0.4 point decline from 2022.
According to the health officials, a pregnant woman must be healthy for a reduction in the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). When pregnant women had nutritious food, the IMR would come down. The reduction in IMR can be ensured by reaching out to the government health services for the poor.
