Death rate in Odisha on decline

Bhubaneswar: The death rate is on the decline in the state, which has bagged the second place among major states and third among all states in this aspect, official sources said on Tuesday.

According to Sample Registration System (SRS) 2005 to 2010, the drop in death rate of Odisha is 0.9 per cent as against 0.4 per cent in national level.

While Bihar recorded 1.3 per cent of decline in death rate among big states, Uttarakhand recorded 1.1 per cent decline among the smaller ones and union territories, they said.

State Health Minister Prasanna Acharya said the decline in death rate was mostly due to major growth in health infrastructure, deployment of trained manpower, provision of better care services in all health institutions across the state through involvement of Association of Social and Health Advancement, mobile health units and availability of essential medicines.

The drop in birth rate in the state is above the national average. While national average is 1.7 points, it is 1.8 points in the state, they said.

The maternal mortality rate (MMR) was 303 per one lakh mothers during 2004-06 and it came down to 258 in 2007-09 in the state. The decline is 45 points in comparison to 42 points decline at the national level which is also better than other major states, Acharya said.

The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) Mission, meanwhile, has helped the state in achieving 30 points decline in IMR in the last 10 years -- the maximum in the country.

The IMR was 97 per one thousand live births in 2000 and has now come down to 61 in 2010, he added.