New Delhi: Assam recorded the highest maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the country with 197 deaths per one lakh live births whereas Kerala scored the lowest, according to a bulletin released by the Registrar General of India on Tuesday. Assam is followed by Madhya Pradesh at an MMR rate of 173 per one lakh live births, and Uttar Pradesh, which recorded 167 on the same scale. On a national scale, India’s overall MMR has declined by 25 per cent from 130 in 2014 to 97 in 2020.
“Significant decline in the Maternal Mortality Ratio from 130 in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20. The various healthcare initiatives of Narendra Modi's government to ensure quality maternal and reproductive care have helped tremendously in bringing down MMR,” Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said. Kerala's lowest score of 19 was, followed by Maharashtra (33), while Telangana bagged the third position with 43 such deaths. The fourth-lowest spot is held by Andhra Pradesh (45).
Also read: Govt not liable to pay compensation for deaths due to Covid vaccines: Centre tells SC
Maternal mortality in a region is a measure of the reproductive health of women in the area. Many women in reproductive age-span die due to complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth or abortion. The World Health Organisation clarifies maternal death as that "of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes".
One of the key indicators of maternal mortality is the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), which is defined as the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 100,000 live births during the same time period. Target 3.1 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations aims at reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.
