Dainik Nation News Portal
DAINIK NATION BUREAU
The Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu has said that the health outcomes cannot be achieved by the government institutions alone and the private sector health facilities have to supplement governmental efforts. He expressed these views after inaugurating the State-of-the-art Rainbow Children’s Hospital, here in Delhi on Wednesday.
He said that the childhood malnutrition continues to be a serious public health concern and a development challenge in India. He further said that with under five mortality rate in India at 43 per 1,000 live births, Infant Mortality Rate at 34 per 1,000 live births and Neonatal Mortality Rates at 25 per 1,000 live births, it is estimated that 10.8 lakh under five children die annually. The major causes of child mortality in India include prematurity and low birth weight, pneumonia and diarrheal diseases, among others, he added.
The Vice President said that there has to be a greater health awareness and health-seeking behavior among people. The new National Health Protection Scheme can potentially make a huge difference in the lives of the poor impacting both their physical as well as economic well being, he added.
There is a need for setting up more specialized children’s hospitals, the private sector must ensure that the treatment provided by them is not only accessible but also affordable. The Vedic rishis had prayed for a world free from disease – Sarve Santu Niraamayaa. In order to create a healthier India, we need the active participation of the private sector and philanthropists, he added.
He expressed hope that the Hospital will continue its noble mission of providing specialized care to children and contribute to the larger national mission of ensuring all infants survive and thrive, growing up into healthy, active citizens of new India we all aspiring for.
Early childhood, as you all are aware, plays a crucial role in the overall physical, emotional and social well-being of an individual in the later years. The experience in childhood leaves a profound impact and lays the foundation for the future. A child who is well nurtured nutritionally and emotionally will not only be happy but also stay healthy. But, according to UNICEF, nearly 43 per cent of children under five years in low and middle income countries are not getting the nutrition, protection and the stimulation they need.
India has a number of health challenges. Infant and child health is one of them. With under five mortality rate in India at 43 per 1,000 live births, Infant Mortality Rate at 34 per 1,000 live births and Neonatal Mortality Rates at 25 per 1,000 live births, it is estimated that 10.8 lakh under five children die annually.
The major causes of child mortality in India include prematurity and low birth weight, pneumonia and diarrheal diseases, among others.
It is indeed a daunting challenge for India to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of bringing neonatal mortality from the current level of 25 to 12 per 1,000 live births and under five mortality rate from 43 to 25 per 1,000 live births by 2030.
India has initiated several measures to improve the healthcare facilities and health indicators, including those relating to Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR), Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR).
