Child mortality down, but vaccination too dips in Kerala

Mothers who had at least four antenatal care visits were 78.6 as against the previous 90.01.
Child mortality down, but vaccination too dips in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the latest feather in the state’s healthcare cap, the infant mortality rate (IMR) declined to 4.4 per 1,000 live births, according to the latest National Family Health Survey-5 2019-20. The IMR of the state in the NFHS 2015-16 was 5.6.  However, on the vaccination front, there was a dismal picture with far fewer inoculations having been administered.

The neonatal mortality rate  dipped from 4.4 to 3.4 and under-five mortality rate from 7.1 to 5.2. Interestingly, these achievements were possible when the state showed a decline in three crucial parameters in pregnancy care. Mothers, who had antenatal checkup in the first trimester, were 93.6 per cent as against the 95.1 per cent in 2015-16. 

Mothers who had at least four antenatal care visits were 78.6 as against the previous 90.01. Another indicator in which the state showed a negative growth was the number of mothers whose last delivery was protected against neonatal tetanus. The figure dropped from 96.4 per cent to 95.2 per cent.

Caesarean sections(C-section) rose to 38.9 per cent from the earlier 35.8 per cent. The number of women, who had been delivered of their babies at public healthcare facilities, dropped from 38.3 to 34.1. The average expenditure for delivery in a public facility came down from `6,901 to `6,710. 

Vaccination
The state showed an alarming decline in child vaccination. Number of fully vaccinated children belonging to the 12-23 month bracket, based on the information gathered from mothers or vaccination cards, was 77.8 per cent in 2019-20 as against the 82.1 per cent in 2015-16. An analysis of vaccination cards alone showed 85.2 per cent as against the earlier 88.3 per cent. There was a 4.4 per cent decline in children who received polio vaccine and 0.5 per cent decline in BCG. Use of DPT vaccine and measles-containing vaccine also showed a negative trend.

Number of kids under five years identified with overweight and underweight issues showed an increase. Underweight children rose from 16.1 per cent to 19.7 per cent and overweight children from 3.4 per cent to 4 per cent.

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