Haryana records hike in infant mortality rate

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 25

Haryana has the dubious distinction of being among the four states (Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur being the other three) which have registered an increase in the infant mortality rate (IMR) in the past five years.

Though the increase is marginal from 32.8 to 33.3 (NFHS-4 in 2015-16) per 1,000 live births, the spike is a cause for concern for a progressive state like Haryana whose Health Minister Anil Vij had been quite proactive in launching new projects and schemes.

The state fares poorly as compared to its immediate neighbours on the IMR front, data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) indicated.

Haryana’s neighbouring states have registered significant decline in the IMR. The IMR in Punjab has come down to 28 from 29.2 and in Delhi it has decreased to 24.5 from 31.2. The IMR in Rajasthan has come down to 30.3 from 41.3 and the ratio in Himachal Pradesh is down to 25.6 from 34.3 as compared to the NFHS-4. At all-India front, the IMR has come down from 40.7 to 35.2.

Meanwhile, the nutritional status of the children is also not good with 27.5 per cent of the children under the age of five years “stunted” (height for age) and 11.5 per cent children were “stunted” as far as weight-for height was concerned.

The survey said 60.6 per cent of the women in the age group of 15-49 were anaemic while about 19 per cent men were anaemic in the same age bracket. Besides, 62.3 per cent women in the age group of 15-19 were anaemic.

As per data, 33.1 per cent of the women (15-49 years) and 28.3 per cent men are obese. The survey found that 25 per cent of men and 21 per cent of the women are hypertensive.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar claimed that a 57-point rise in the sex-ratio at birth in the past five years (females per 1,000 males) for infant girls in Haryana as per the NFHS-5 reflected the effective implementation of the “Beti, Bachao, Beti, Padhao Yojana”. The gender ratio at birth was 836 as per NFHS-4 which has now increased to 893 during the recent NFHS-5, he added. 

HIGHLIGHTS of NFHS survey

• 27.5% kids under 5 “stunted” (height for age)
• 11.5 % kids “stunted” (weight-for height)
• Over 60% women (15-49 years) anaemic
• About 19% men also anaemic
• 33.1% women (15-49 yrs) obese; 28.3% men obese
• Sex ratio registers a 57-point increase

Neighbouring states register decline

• Haryana’s neighbouring states have registered significant decline in the IMR
• The IMR in Punjab has come down to 28 from 29.2 and in Delhi it has decreased to 24.5 from 31.2
• The IMR in Rajasthan has come down to 30.3 from 41.3. The ratio in HP is down to 25.6 from 34.3
• At all-India front, IMR has come down from 40.7 to 35.2