India’s under-5 mortality rate since 2000 dropped by 49 percent

The Under-5 Mortality Rate in India has dropped by 49 per cent since 2000, but there is a six-fold variation in the rate between states and an 11-fold variation between various districts. These are the findings of two scientific papers on child survival by the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative.

The study highlighted that there were 1.04 million under-5 deaths in 2017, down from 2.24 million in 2000. Neonatal deaths were reduced from 1.02 million in 2000 to 0.57 million in 2017.

Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) was reduced by 38% since 2000. There is a 5-fold variation in the rate between the states and 8-fold variation between the districts of India.

It also highlighted the child mortality and child growth failure indicators have improved substantially across India from 2000 to 2017. Also, inequality between districts has increased.

It highlighted that over 68% of under-5 deaths in India are attributable to the child and maternal malnutrition.

It also reported the largest contributors within this risk factor are low birth weight and short gestation of 46% and child growth failure of 21%.

11% of under-5 deaths are attributable to unsafe water and sanitation and 9% to air pollution. Meanwhile, 83% of the neonatal deaths are attributable to low birth weight and shorter gestation.

The study stated that leading causes of under-5 deaths in India are lower respiratory infections of 17.9%, preterm birth of 15.6%, diarrhoeal diseases of 9.9%, and birth asphyxia and trauma of 8.1%. The death rate for all the major causes decreased between 2000 and 2017.