The Orissa government is determined to reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), said Parfulla Chandra Ghadei, the state finance minister.
To achieve this objective, various stakeholders need to work with a missionary zeal, he added.
At present, the MMR in Orissa stood at 303 compared to the national average of 254 and on an average, the state records 7-8 maternal deaths every day. The state’s IMR stood at 57 per 1,000 live births.
Ghadei pointed out that the focus should be on effective implementation of the various health related schemes.
The minister was speaking at the state level sharing of the Deliver Now campaign for women and children organised by the White Ribbon Alliance (WRA).
Speaking on the occasion, Prasanna Acharya, the state minister for health and family welfare called for strong political will and greater accountability on health related issues in the state.
Lori Mc Dougall, representative of the Geneva-based Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, a global health partnership organisation said, “The Deliver Now campaign has enabled the people to speak out on the prevailing health systems. It has also led to an effective communication among the communities, mediapersons and policy makers.”
Aparajita Gogoi, state level coordinator of WRA-Orissa said, “The Deliver New campaign has helped to create action at all levels especially among the community stakeholders, opinion leaders and the media. As a result of the campaign, political will and accountability has been built at the state level for improved health services for child and maternal health.”
WRA has implemented its advocacy activities in 12 out of the 30 districts in Orissa and our media campaign is coordinated by Development Media International, she added.
The Deliver Now Campaign was launched in Orissa in April last year. The objective of the campaign is to supplement the efforts of the government to reduce IMR and MMR in the state.
