The Hindu : `Female infanticide declines'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 29, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

`Female infanticide declines'

By Shastry V Mallady

MADURAI, FEB.28. The practice of female infanticide appears to be on the wane in sensitive pockets of Madurai district with the official figures showing a very steep fall in the number of deaths of girl babies.

The number of reported cases of female infanticide was only seven in 2003 while it was 65 three years ago, as per Government statistics.

High-risk areas such as Usilampatti, which were reporting a large number of cases, have started to show positive signals owing to intensive awareness programmes undertaken among adolescent girls and women, Health department authorities told The Hindu .

The annual assessment for the year 2003 has been completed and the progress is very encouraging. And no case of female infanticide has been reported till now this year, a senior Health department official involved in the infanticide prevention project said.

In 2000, there were 65 deaths owing to infanticide; in 2001, the figure came down to 48 and in 2002, the girl baby deaths were 16 and last year only seven cases were reported. The high-risk areas in the district are Usilampatti, Tirumangalam, Chellampatti and Sedapatti.

However, two independent surveys are now under way, by two organisations, to study the current situation and present a comprehensive report to the World Bank and the Government.

A senior official pointed out that the reduction in the number was owing to the targeted intervention by the Health department through a multi-pronged approach. Adolescent girls, teenage girls and pregnant women were sufficiently educated to save the girl child; the aspects of nutrition were taken up through self-help groups, NGOs and health department.

Reproductive and child health was given the focus along with reducing maternal mortality. The sensitive villages for infanticide are covered through Village Level Monitoring Committees, which have been conducting monthly meetings involving the village elders, panchayat members and others.

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