Manipur: state and family care together

The Nongmaithem family is an example of how Manipur has benefited from the state health programmes. The infant mortality rate has dipped to 11 in 2011 from 14 in 2010.

The Nongmaithem family is an example of how Manipur has benefited from the state health programmes. The infant mortality rate has dipped to 11 in 2011 from 14 in 2010.

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For Imphal residents Nongmaithem Rocky (38) and his wife Meena (27) giving nutritional food to their children is not challenging since breast feeding till the baby's first birthday is a tradition in their society.

Most couples in the state have an extended family support system besides getting support from Anganwadis and other health awareness programmes through local health workers and NGOs.

"The state health programmes also help in arranging our children's food," says Rocky, a small time trader.

"The Anganwadi centre helps a lot in shaping our children."

The ICDS is being implemented at 4501 Anganwadis in Manipur. Rocky's wife Meena, a private school teacher, was also among the state's 15,969 women beneficiaries (2010-11) of Janani Surakhsha Yojana (JSY), a centrally-sponsored scheme under National Rural Health Mission for pregnant women.

NRHM has improved public health tremendously besides reducing infant death rate, maternity mortality and neo-natal mortality in this northeastern state which now has one of the best records in tackling malnutrition and hunger in India.

For every 1000 live births, 11 die in Manipur as compared to 59 in Madhya Pradesh as per the latest Sample Registration Survey reports. The infant mortality rate dipped to 11 in 2011 against 14 in 2010.

"Besides vaccination programmes health mela, newborn care week and village health day helps us in sharing knowledge with village women," says a newly appointed felicitator Semsoon who captains 20 ASHAs (health activists) at the village level and is attached to a government health centre near Imphal.