‘Call for action’ to improve maternal, child survival in UP

LUCKNOW: UP’s women welfare minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Tuesday issued a ‘call for action’, pledging support towards improving maternal and child survival in UP.

The pledge endorsed the collective support of key stakeholders towards: Making quality maternal and child health services available to everyone, especially the poor, vulnerable sections and improving public health system through strengthening human resources.

It talked about increasing supply of essential commodities and uptake of services. Joshi unveiled this ‘call to action’ while addressing a state-level symposium on reproductive, maternal, new born, child and adolescent health (RMNCH+A) and nutrition organised by public health organisation Global Health Strategies (GHS) in the city.

Minister of state, Swati Singh, representatives from ministry of women welfare, family welfare, maternal and child welfare; and senior officials of UP government were among speakers at the symposium.

With a population of over 20 crore, UP has seen improvements in maternal, child and adolescent health in the last 10 years.

The state, however, still has a long way to go in realising the envisaged health and nutrition targets, the experts noted. UP lags in key health indicators, including IMR and MMR (nationally the figures are 41 and 130, respectively). Half of all women aged 15-49 years in the state are anaemic, they said. Almost half of the children (between 12-23 months) in the state do not receive full immunisation (NFHS-4), added the experts.