IndiaMinistry of Health and Family Welfare
New Policy on Pneumonia to Reduce Infant Mortality
As per Sample Registration System Report (2010-13) of Registrar General of India, Pneumonia contributes 16.9% of infant deaths and it is the 2nd highest cause of infant mortality.
The list of major causes of infant mortality in India as per the above report is placed at annexure.
In order to accelerate actions for reducing deaths due to childhood Pneumonia, an initiative named “Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS)” has been launched in 2019. The SAANS initiative encompasses three pronged strategies:
- Guidelines on treatment and management of childhood Pneumonia including introduction of use of Amoxicillin by ANM.
- Capacity building of service providers for identification and standardized management of Pneumonia.
- Communication campaign to ensure greater awareness on childhood Pneumonia among families and parents.
Annexure
| Top 10 Causes of Death in age below 1 year in India : 2010-2013 | ||||
| Rank | Cause of Death | Deaths (%) | ||
| Male | Female | Person | ||
| 1 | Prematurity & low birth weight | 35.6 | 36.4 | 35.9 |
| 2 | Pneumonia | 17.0 | 16.8 | 16.9 |
| 3 | Birth asphyxia & birth trauma | 10.7 | 9.1 | 9.9 |
| 4 | Other noncommunicable diseases | 8.2 | 7.5 | 7.9 |
| 5 | Diarrhoeal diseases | 6.2 | 7.3 | 6.7 |
| 6 | Ill-defined or cause unknown | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.6 |
| 7 | Congenital anomalies | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.6 |
| 8 | Acute bacterial sepsis and severe infections | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| 9 | Injuries | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| 10 | Fever of unknown origin | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| All Other Remaining Causes | 5.2 | 5.7 | 5.4 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| Source:Sample Registration System Report (2010-13) of Registrar General of India | ||||
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.
