The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State's infant mortality rate termed unacceptably high

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 20, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State's infant mortality rate termed unacceptably high

Special Correspondent

Project aimed at improving maternal and child health services launched

PROJECT LAUNCH: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (right) with World Bank official Paolo Carlo Belli at the launch of the Karnataka Health Systems Development and Reform Project in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: The State's infant mortality rate is still unacceptably high, and an estimated seven per cent of children born die before their fifth birthday, according to Paolo Carlo Belli, World Bank team leader, Karnataka Health Systems Development and Reform (KHSDR-II) project.

In his address at the launch of the World Bank-assisted KHSDR-II project here, Mr. Belli said many health problems in the State needed urgent attention. It was estimated that one mother in 250 died during childbirth. As only around half the deliveries took place in health centres, the focus should be on getting those women who still deliver at home to a health centre, he said. He expressed concern over the wide disparities in health indicators among the poor, compared to the better off.

Decrease

Mr. Belli said that between 1991 and 2005 the infant mortality rate decreased from 65 to 43 per 1,000 live births in India, a decrease of around 3 per cent a year. However, improvements had been twice as rapid in urban areas than rural areas.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy launched the project, which is aimed at improving maternal and child health services, mainly by expanding coverage in rural and underserved areas. He said the project, which would cost Rs. 897.79 crore, would be implemented over the next five years. The World Bank had agreed to extend a loan of Rs. 616.68 crore while the State would contribute Rs. 282.11 crore, he said.

Under the project, a Service Improvement Challenge Fund will be set up to support construction, renovation and upgrading of primary health centres (PHCs), sub-centres and taluk-level hospitals, particularly in 39 backward taluks with the lowest health index. It will also encourage private-public partnerships in contracting out facilities at PHCs to non-governmental or private organisations.

Minister for Health R. Ashok said the bank's assistance would help improve service delivery in rural areas. The project would be implemented in relatively less developed areas to increase the utilisation of curative and public health services. The project would encourage innovations in service delivery and increase spending on infrastructure, he said.

Condition

The bank has laid down a condition that State should increase the expenditure on health to an average of five per cent of government spending every year.

The first KHSDR project was executed during 1996-2004 at a cost of Rs. 594 crore. Under it, 204 secondary hospitals were upgraded.

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