Overview
- Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, in a written reply to the Assembly, said Pune, Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Amravati, Akola and Yavatmal logged the deaths of children aged 0–5 from 2022–23 to 2024–25.
- The tally covers infants and under-fives treated at government health facilities, including cases linked to severe malnutrition, according to the reply.
- Abitkar acknowledged 138 infant deaths in Palghar in the past six months, with screening there identifying 303 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition and 2,663 with Moderate Acute Malnutrition.
- He cited SRS 2023 data placing Maharashtra’s neonatal mortality at 11 per 1,000 live births, which meets the UN Sustainable Development Goal benchmark.
- Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said a task team spanning Tribal Welfare, Health and WCD will be formed and reported Severe Acute Malnutrition falling to 0.41% in 2025.