Overview

• India's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) dropped from 130 per 100,000 live births in 2014-16 to 93 in 2019-21, an 86% decline since 1990, outpacing global averages.
• Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) also saw sharp declines, with IMR falling from 39 to 27 and NMR from 26 to 19 per 1,000 live births between 2014 and 2021.
• Eight states, including Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, have already met the 2030 SDG target for MMR, while 12 states have achieved the U5MR target, and six have reached the NMR goal.
• Kerala leads the nation with the lowest mortality rates, achieving SDG thresholds across all key indicators, while Assam shows progress but still lags behind national averages.
• Government initiatives such as Janani Suraksha Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, alongside digital health monitoring, have been pivotal in driving these improvements.