UNICEF survey shows increase in maternal, child health indicators: Govt.

The Government today said the Coverage Evaluation Survey (CES) 2009 carried out by the United Nations Childrens' Fund (UNICEF) showed significant increase in major indicators for maternal and child health, including immunisation.

An official press release said the findings reaffirmed the positive results of the strategies adopted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) for the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Programme.

The nationwide survey, covering all States and Union Territories, was commissioned by UNICEF and conducted between November 2009 and January 2010, it said.

According to it, the Janani Suraksha Yojana had changed the scenario of institutional delivery in the country. The CES results showed that when compared to data of National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-III, which provides the figures for 2005-06, the beginning of NRHM, institutional delivery had increased from 40.7 per cent to 72.9 per cent.

Similarly, safe delivery by skilled birth attendants had increased from 48.2 per cent to 76 per cent. Mothers who had three or more ante-natal check-ups had also gone up from 50.7 per cent to 68.7 per cent.

The release said that, in the so-called backward states, institutional delivery had increased from 29.7% to 81% in Madhya Pradesh, 38.8% to 75.5% in Orissa, 32.2 % to 70.4% in Rajasthan, 22 % to 48.3 % in Bihar, 15.7% to 44.9% in Chhattisgarh and from 22% to 62.1% in Uttar Pradesh.

As far as child health indicators were concerned, the proportion of children with diarrhoea in the previous two weeks who received oral rehydration solution (ORS had increased from 26% in NFHS-III to 53.6% in CES 2009, it said.

It said that the proportion of children with Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) in the previous two weeks who were given advice or treatment had increased from 69% to 82.6%.

The number of children breast fed within one hour increased from 24.5 % to 33.5 %, it said.

The release said that the CES findings also showed substantial change in two critical child health indicators: the use of ORS and Oral Rehydration Therapy for diarrhoea and the seeking of care in a health facility for ARI.

The CES showed a significant change in newborn care practices which are important in preventing infections and hypothermia and absence of these practices contribute substantially to Infant Mortality Rate. For instance, 86% of the newborn had their cord cut with a sterilized/new blade, 43.6% of newborn were not given bath immediately, 74.3% of children were wiped dry and wrapped and the proportion of newborn checked within 24 hours was 65.6%.

The release said the full immunisation coverage at the national level had also increased to 61% from 43.5% in 2005-06.

Of the 23 states that have shown improvement in full immunization coverage when compared to NFHS -3, 9 states have shown improvement in full immunization coverage of 20 -30 %; and similarly in 6 states the improvement has been between 10-20%.

The large states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, Karnataka and Maharashtra have shown improvement of full immunization coverage of more than 15 %.

"These improvements have been due to the various NRHM initiatives including strengthening of the immunization programme. The findings of the survey are a testimony to the positive results of the RCH –II Programme and the efforts being made under National Rural Health Mission," the release added.

NNN