Odisha is still at a higher rank in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) than other States, said the 14th annual State of the World’s Mothers Report launched by child rights organisation ‘Save the Children’ here on Tuesday.
The experts said that due to lack of proper awareness, the rural people could not get knowledge about the institutional birth. Though the State along with the Central Government and NGOs have been working on the issue for years, lack of awareness among the people is a major hurdle for decreasing in IMR and MMR in the State, they added.
The report, which was also launched globally on Tuesday, revealed that India has persistently high rates of newborn mortality. The country accounts for 29 per cent of all first day deaths globally at 3, 09,000 a year. The report indicates that chronic malnourishment which leads to mental or physical impairment or ‘stunting’ is particularly severe in the region. The report’s Birth Day Risk Index shows that the first 24 hours is by far the riskiest day of a human life, not just in the region but in almost every country in the world.
Among others, Save the Children Project Manager (Health and Nutrition) Santanu Chakraborty, State Programme Manager Sasanka Kumar Padhi, SIHFW director Dr Bijayeeni Mohapatra, Family Welfare director Dr Pranakrushna Behera, former director Health Services Dr Seba Mohapatra and hundreds of representatives from NGOs, INGOs, UN agencies, bi-lateral agencies, networks and alliances were present.