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Indian Pediatr 2016;53: 1117 |
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Infant Mortality Among Scheduled Tribes in
Central India: A Concern
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Arvind Verma and Kalyan Brata Saha
National Institute for Research in Tribal Health
(ICMR), Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Email:
[email protected]
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The sheer versatility in population, language, religion, belief, culture
and level of socio-economic development in India remains a major
constraint for infant mortality rate [1]. Scheduled Tribes (ST)
constitute 8.6% of the Indian population [2], which remain neglected
with respect to antenatal care. National Family Health Survey showed
that one-third of all pregnant women from ST community in India did not
receive any antenatal care during pregnancy, and only 17.6% were aware
of benefits of consuming iron and folic acid supplements. Majority of
the deliveries (73.2%) are conducted at home with assistance by midwife;
their lack of proper training and low frequency of postnatal check-ups
(68.6%) pose serious threat to the health of new-borns
[3]. Indian states of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat,
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan constitute
70% of total tribal population [4]; and contribute significantly to
infant mortality (Table I) [2,4].
TABLE I Infant Mortality Rate According to Type of Residence and Gender in
Tribal Dominant States of Central India
|
State |
Infant Mortality Rate |
|
(per thousand live births) |
|
Total |
Rural |
Urban |
|
India |
40 |
44 |
27 |
|
India (ST) |
84 |
85 |
61 |
|
Madhya Pradesh |
54 |
57 |
37 |
|
Madhya Pradesh (ST) |
110 |
111 |
84 |
|
Odisha |
51 |
53 |
38 |
|
Odisha (ST) |
92 |
93 |
75 |
|
Rajasthan |
47 |
51 |
30 |
|
Rajasthan (ST) |
100 |
101 |
71 |
|
Chhattisgarh |
46 |
47 |
38 |
|
Chhattisgarh (ST) |
95 |
97 |
69 |
|
Jharkhand |
37 |
38 |
27 |
|
Jharkhand (ST) |
77 |
79 |
57 |
|
Maharashtra |
24 |
29 |
16 |
|
Maharashtra (ST) |
66 |
68 |
47 |
|
Gujarat |
36 |
43 |
22 |
|
Gujarat (ST) |
61 |
63 |
52 |
|
ST: scheduled tribe. |
Tribes are heterogeneous group and some of them are
socially at par with upper sections of society while some have primitive
means of livelihood. Their culture, ritual and traditional beliefs
sometimes act as hindrance in utilization of Maternal and Child Health
(MCH) facilities. Traditional practices like discarding of colostrum and
treatment of umbilical stump with indigenous substances
[5] result in high neonatal mortality.
Under-utilization of pre-and post-delivery care facilities is also
attributed to lack of awareness and non-accessibility to health posts in
tribal areas. [5]. The need is to understand disparity among the various
subgroups and develop strategies/polices accordingly. Tribe-specific
facilities are required to bridge the gap. A sustainable model for
new-born survival, and utilizing trained health workers from within the
tribal community is required for tackling infant mortality.
References
1. SRS Bulletin, Sample Registration System Registrar
General, India: Volume 49 no 1, September 2014. Available from:
http://censusindia.gov.in/vital_statistics/SRS_Bulletins/SRS%20Bulletin%20-Sepetember%
202014.pdf. Accessed October 02, 2015.
2. Census of India, Office of Registrar General and
Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New
Delhi, 2011. Available from:
http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2011/India_at_glance/scst.aspx.
Accessed October 02, 2015.
3. National family Health Survey, International
Institute for Population Sciences, Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare. Available from: http://rchiips.org/nfhs/chapters.shtml.
Accessed January 15, 2016.
4. Statistical Profile of Scheduled Tribes in India,
Ministry of Tribal affairs, Government of India, 2010. Available From:
http://tribal.nic.in/WriteReadData/CMS/Documents/201211291056450078125File1386.pdf.
Accessed October 02, 2015.
5. National Institute for Research in Tribal Health,
Annual Report 2008-09. Available from:
http://www.nirth.res.in/publications/annual_report/annual_report_2008-09.pdf.
Accessed April 11, 2016.
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