Jammu Kashmir Achieves Significant Drop in Infant Mortality; IMR at 14, U5MR at 15 | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has recorded a remarkable improvement in child health indicators, with the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) at 14 per 1,000 live births and the Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) at 15 per 1,000, according to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) report of 2023.

The Union Territory’s performance is well below the national average of 25 (IMR) and 29 (U5MR), reflecting the impact of focused maternal and child health interventions under the National Health Mission (NHM) and allied programmes.

Officials attributed this achievement to strengthened healthcare delivery through schemes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Janani Shishu Suraksha (JSSK), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs), and extensive outreach by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in both rural and remote areas. These initiatives ensure free institutional deliveries, quality antenatal and postnatal care, emergency obstetric services, and nutrition interventions, particularly targeting high-risk mothers and newborns.

At the national level, India has made significant progress in reducing child mortality. IMR has declined from 39 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 25 in 2023, while U5MR dropped from 45 to 29 over the same period. The United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) reports that India achieved a 74 percent decline in IMR and 79 percent reduction in under-five mortality since 1990, surpassing global declines of 56 percent and 61 percent respectively.

Despite these gains, disparities persist across states and regions, particularly in tribal, rural, and underserved areas. States such as Madhya Pradesh (IMR 37, U5MR 44), Uttar Pradesh (IMR 37, U5MR 42), and Chhattisgarh (IMR 37, U5MR 41) continue to report higher mortality rates. In contrast, Union Territories including Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Ladakh, and Chandigarh lead with the lowest mortality indicators.

To sustain and expand these gains, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has enhanced funding for 2026-27 under the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy. Focused interventions include expanding skilled birth attendance, improving emergency obstetric care, strengthening facility-based newborn care, promoting early initiation of breastfeeding, ensuring universal immunization, and implementing targeted campaigns such as SAANS for pneumonia prevention and STOP Diarrhoea.

With these continued efforts, Jammu and Kashmir is positioned as a model for equitable child health outcomes, demonstrating how coordinated health programs can deliver measurable improvements even in challenging geographic and demographic contexts.