E-Paper
Infant mortality rate in Jasra rings alarm bells
A LARGE number of babies taking birth in the backward villages of Jasra block of the district may not live long. Hit by extreme poverty and malnutrition, these villages have set a record of high infant mortality rate in UP.
A LARGE number of babies taking birth in the backward villages of Jasra block of the district may not live long. Hit by extreme poverty and malnutrition, these villages have set a record of high infant mortality rate in UP.
The startling survey conducted by a local NGO Sanchetna (during July- September 2006) revealed that the mother and infant mortality rate has alarmingly increased to 26 per cent in the ten villages in Jasra block. During the period, 125 babies (66 males and 59 females) were born in these villages, dominated by Kewat community, and amongst them 21 babies died within four months.
Most of the deaths occurred due to unsafe delivery by untrained midwives and malnutrition in babies. Two women also died due to complications during the time of delivery.
The village-wise survey showed that the five infants died in Kanti village, four in Asarvai, two in Geenj, four in Khadesar and two in Pipraon.
The infants also died in Jari, Baijala, Lotadh and Bhispuri, within two hours to four months after their birth.
The survey also revealed that not a single delivery took place at the ANM centre at Kanti and primary health centres at Jari and Bara, in the past three months.
"In Geenj, the infant babies of Asharfi Lal and Nankay Sahu died within four months due to malnutrition, in Lotadh Rajesh Kohl's infant daughter died, in Jari Badkay Kewat's infant baby died, in Khadesar Dudhnath's two-month-old son died. Similarly, Ashok Bhartiya's three-day-old baby and Prem Shankar's infant child also died. In Pipraon, four-day-old son of Samar Bahadur Patel and three-day-old daughter of Vimla Devi also died. In Asarvai, two-day-old son of Ashok, infant daughter of Rani Devi and new born child of Mulchand died. All of them belonged to extremely poor Kewat community," said Govind Saran, secretary Sanchetna.
Govind Saran said the survey also revealed that 25-year-old Sundari Devi and her child died due to unsafe delivery by an untrained village midwife. Last year also, two women, including Kusum Verma (25) and Sushma Sahu (22) died in Geenj at the time of delivery. "In comparison to last year's data, the infant mortality rate is certainly high. The deaths mostly occurred due to poor health care facilities," he added.
