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POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY TN

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The under-five mortality rate-U5MR (per 1000 live births) in Tamil Nadu was 96<br />

in 1990 (as against the national figure of 115) and declined to 63 in 1998-99. The state is<br />

well on track to reduce the U5MR by two thirds by 2015. The prediction shows that the<br />

state will meet the target well in advance (i.e., by 2011). It is noted that the infanthood<br />

death constitutes about two-thirds of under-five mortalities. More policy attention is<br />

required to reduce infant death.<br />

Low birth weight and under nutrition are the major risk factors of infant and child<br />

mortality. According to National Family Health Survey-3 (2005-06), the proportion of<br />

children (0-3 years) who are underweight is 33 percent in Tamil Nadu and 46 percent in<br />

the country. About 73 percent (80 percent) of children (6 – 35 months) are anemic in<br />

Tamil Nadu (India) [Appendix Table 1.11).<br />

The Ministry of Health and Family welfare is implementing several programmes<br />

and schemes to address the issues of high infant and child mortality. Some of the major<br />

child health intervention includes Universal Immunization Programme, where<br />

immunization is carried out against six vaccine preventable diseases, control of deaths<br />

due to acute respiratory infections and diarrhea diseases and provision of essential new<br />

born care to address the issue of neonates. These schemes would help all states<br />

including Tamil Nadu to improve child immunization, thereby reducing infant deaths.<br />

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) reports, the proportion of<br />

children 12-23 months fully immunized (BCG, measles, and 3 doses each of polio/DPT) in<br />

Tamil Nadu (India) increased from 65.1 (35.5) percent in 1992-93 to 80.8 (43.5) percent<br />

in 2005-06 (Appendix Table 1.11). This means that 20 percent children in Tamil Nadu<br />

are not fully immunized. However, the proportion of children 12-23 months received at<br />

least measles increased to 92.4 per cent in 2005-06 (See Appendix Table 1.10). The<br />

projections indicate that the state will attain the required 100 percent level in 2009 while<br />

the country in 2025 (Appendix Table 1.6).<br />

(ii) Maternal Mortality<br />

Ensuring safe motherhood is one of the biggest challenges in India. Maternal mortality<br />

rates (MMR) are extremely high with 407 deaths per 1 lakh births in 1998. The MDG<br />

goal calls for a reducing MMR between 1990 and 2015, by three-quarters, implying<br />

thereby bringing down the MMR of the country to 109 in 2015. The pace of decline of<br />

MMR has been slow and it seems very unlikely that India will meet this MDG if progress<br />

continues at its current rate (Bajpai, Sachs and Volvks, 2005). Tamil Nadu compares well<br />

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