Save the Children
Position Paper on Child Survival
1. INTRODUCTION
Save the Children is a child focused organisation that delivers immediate and lasting improvements in children's lives. The organisation is committed to improve the health status of children in India and protect them from exploitation, abuse and ill health. In the current context, Save the Children’s primary focus is on supporting the system in accelerating the progress towards Millennium Development Goal 4 aimed at one-third reduction in child mortality rates from 1990 level, by 2015.
Child Survival Situation in India
India is faced with an unparalleled child survival and health challenge. The country contributes 1.95 million of the global burden of 9.2 million under-five child deaths, which is the highest for any nation in the world. Nearly 26 million infants are born each year, of whom nearly 1 million die before completing the first 4 weeks of life and 1.7 million die before reaching the first birthday[1]. India has a population of 1.17 billion. Children below the age of 18 years account for 38.24% of India’s population and of these 127 million are between 0-5 years[2]. The infant mortality rate in India is 54 per 1000 live births[3] and the neonatal mortality is 39/1000 live births[4]. Almost one in every three babies in the world, who die before they are four weeks old, is from India. Less than half (44%) of children of 12-23 months are fully immunized against the six major preventable diseases[5]. 45.9% of Indian children under three are underweight. Nearly 80% of infants now have anaemia[6]. Each year 27 million pregnancies take place in the country with only 32.9% women accessing the Government health services for antenatal care. Only 52% pregnant women have at least three visits for antenatal care[7].
Government of India launched the National Rural Health Mission on 12th April 2005, to provide accessible, affordable and accountable quality health services to the poor households in rural
1. INTRODUCTION
Save the Children is a child focused organisation that delivers immediate and lasting improvements in children's lives. The organisation is committed to improve the health status of children in India and protect them from exploitation, abuse and ill health. In the current context, Save the Children’s primary focus is on supporting the system in accelerating the progress towards Millennium Development Goal 4 aimed at one-third reduction in child mortality rates from 1990 level, by 2015.
Child Survival Situation in India
India is faced with an unparalleled child survival and health challenge. The country contributes 1.95 million of the global burden of 9.2 million under-five child deaths, which is the highest for any nation in the world. Nearly 26 million infants are born each year, of whom nearly 1 million die before completing the first 4 weeks of life and 1.7 million die before reaching the first birthday[1]. India has a population of 1.17 billion. Children below the age of 18 years account for 38.24% of India’s population and of these 127 million are between 0-5 years[2]. The infant mortality rate in India is 54 per 1000 live births[3] and the neonatal mortality is 39/1000 live births[4]. Almost one in every three babies in the world, who die before they are four weeks old, is from India. Less than half (44%) of children of 12-23 months are fully immunized against the six major preventable diseases[5]. 45.9% of Indian children under three are underweight. Nearly 80% of infants now have anaemia[6]. Each year 27 million pregnancies take place in the country with only 32.9% women accessing the Government health services for antenatal care. Only 52% pregnant women have at least three visits for antenatal care[7].
Government of India launched the National Rural Health Mission on 12th April 2005, to provide accessible, affordable and accountable quality health services to the poor households in rural