Assam Achieves Historic Decline in Maternal Mortality Rate
Significant Progress in Maternal Healthcare
Guwahati, June 19: Assam has marked a significant achievement in maternal healthcare, with the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) plummeting from 480 per lakh live births in 2006 to just 125 in 2022. This 75% reduction has been hailed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as the "most substantial decrease" recorded by any Indian state.
In his remarks, the Chief Minister emphasized that each statistic in this decline signifies a life preserved—a mother returning to her family and securing a brighter future.
Sarma, who initiated this healthcare transformation as the state's Health Minister and now serves as Chief Minister, expressed immense pride in this progress.
He reminisced about 2006 when Assam had one of the highest maternal mortality rates in India, alongside a birth rate of 25.0, a total fertility rate (TFR) of 2.9, and institutional deliveries at a mere 22.4%.
At that time, Kerala's MMR was recorded at 95, illustrating the significant gap Assam needed to close.
“Today, Assam has not only bridged that gap but has also outperformed states like Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. This is a landmark achievement in our healthcare journey,” he stated.
According to the Chief Minister, the remarkable drop in MMR is attributed to years of dedicated investment in public health infrastructure and strategic reforms.
Over the years, the state has established 13 medical colleges, 22 district hospitals, 221 community health centers, 1,017 primary health centers, and 4,875 sub-centers throughout Assam, he reiterated.
"Every one of the 35 districts now has at least one Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) center, and the state is equipped with 84 First Referral Units (FRUs) along with an Ayurvedic medical college and hospital," he informed the media.
The expanding healthcare workforce has also been crucial to this success.
Currently, Assam employs 5,769 doctors, 7,419 staff nurses, 9,989 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), 3,212 community health officers, and 7,903 paramedical personnel serving in both urban and rural areas.
The ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) program, initiated in 2006, has seen substantial growth, with 33,656 ASHA workers and 2,675 supervisors actively involved in maternal and child healthcare.
Chief Minister Sarma noted that a significant factor contributing to this success was the substantial increase in institutional deliveries.
From just 22% in 2006, institutional births in Assam have surged to 97%, with government hospitals managing nearly 90% of these deliveries.
“When 100 babies were born in 2006, only 22 were delivered in hospitals. Today, 97 are born in hospitals,” he highlighted.
Another aspect credited for the improvement was the crackdown on child marriages and teenage pregnancies.
“We have made concerted efforts to combat early marriages and adolescent pregnancies, especially in remote and tea garden regions where maternal mortality was previously highest,” he explained.
The recent decline in MMR was achieved even before the full impact of anti-child marriage initiatives had been realized.
“Once we incorporate data from post-2023, I anticipate even more favorable outcomes,” he added.
The Chief Minister also pointed out the reduction in Assam’s total fertility rate from 2.9 to 2.1, aligning it with the national replacement level, indicating broader public health improvements.
Additionally, the infant mortality rate has significantly decreased from 68 to 32, marking one of the sharpest declines in the country.
Looking forward, Sarma reaffirmed his government’s commitment to maintaining this momentum and announced plans to construct 100 new hospitals with dedicated maternity wards across districts within the next five years.
Furthermore, the government aims to establish 51 new First Referral Units, ensuring that every district has both an FRU and a medical college by 2029.
"This achievement is not merely a policy success; it is a triumph for humanity. From being at the bottom of the healthcare index, Assam is now demonstrating to the rest of the country what determined leadership and focused public health reforms can accomplish," Sarma declared.
With this significant reduction in MMR, Assam is not only narrowing the gap with the national average but is also set to establish new benchmarks for maternal health in India.