Haryana lowers infant mortality rate to national average, but health concerns remain

Haryana has achieved an important milestone in public health by reducing its Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to match the national average. According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) Report 2024 released by the Registrar General of India, Haryana's IMR has dropped from 26 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023 to 24 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024.

This improvement is being seen as a positive sign for the state's healthcare system and child welfare programmes. However, experts and health officials say that several challenges still remain. The report highlights concerns about higher death rates among males, urban infant mortality, and declining fertility rates in the state.

The latest figures show that while Haryana has made progress in reducing infant deaths, there is still a need for continued efforts to improve healthcare services for mothers and children across both rural and urban areas.

Improvement in infant health

Infant Mortality Rate is one of the most important indicators of a region's healthcare system. It measures the number of babies who die before reaching one year of age for every 1,000 live births.

The latest report shows that Haryana's IMR has fallen to 24, which is now equal to the national average. This means that the state has made significant progress in improving infant survival rates.

The report also reveals that Haryana's rural IMR has improved considerably. In 2023, the rural IMR stood at 29 deaths per 1,000 live births. In 2024, it dropped to 27, matching the national rural average.

Urban areas also showed improvement. The urban IMR in Haryana decreased from 20 in 2023 to 19 in 2024. However, this figure is still higher than the national urban average of 17.

The report further shows that infant mortality among boys remains slightly higher than among girls in Haryana. The male IMR was recorded at 25, while the female IMR stood at 24.

Health experts believe that the reduction in infant mortality reflects improvements in maternal healthcare, vaccination programmes, newborn care, institutional deliveries, and better access to medical facilities.

Government health schemes, awareness campaigns, and improvements in healthcare infrastructure have also contributed to the decline in infant deaths.

However, officials say that reducing infant mortality further remains one of their key priorities. Continued monitoring and targeted healthcare interventions will be necessary to achieve better outcomes in the coming years.

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Other health indicators raise concern

While infant mortality has improved, the report points to several other demographic and health-related concerns.

One of the major concerns is Haryana's overall death rate. The state's death rate was recorded at 6.7 deaths per 1,000 population. Although slightly lower than last year's figure of 6.8, it remains higher than the national average of 6.4.

The report shows that both rural and urban areas in Haryana have higher death rates than the national average. Rural areas recorded a death rate of 7.0, while urban areas recorded 6.3.

A particularly worrying trend is the higher mortality rate among men. Male mortality in Haryana stood at 7.8 deaths per 1,000 population compared to the national average of 7.1. In rural areas, male mortality reached 8.4, which is significantly higher than the national rural average.

Female mortality, however, remained at 5.6, matching the national figure.

The report also examined birth rates and fertility trends in the state. Haryana's birth rate was recorded at 18.5 births per 1,000 population. This is slightly lower than the previous year's figure of 18.7 but remains above the national average of 18.3.

In rural Haryana, the birth rate was 19.7, which is lower than the national rural average of 20.2. This suggests that fertility control measures may be having a stronger impact in villages.

However, urban Haryana recorded a birth rate of 16.6, significantly higher than the national urban average of 14.7.

The report also found that Haryana's natural population growth rate stood at 11.8 per 1,000 population, which is almost equal to the national average of 11.9.

Interestingly, neighbouring Punjab continues to have one of the lowest birth rates in northern India, with a rate of 12.9.

Health officials are also concerned about the state's declining fertility rate, especially in urban areas. Many families are now choosing to have only one child, leading to a gradual decline in overall fertility.

According to Virender Yadav, Director of the National Health Mission (NHM) Haryana, the state government is focusing on both reducing infant mortality and addressing declining fertility trends.

He said that while Haryana's overall performance is now at par with the national average, more work is needed in specific areas. The health department is continuing efforts to improve maternal and child healthcare services while also studying the reasons behind changing family patterns and lower fertility rates.

The Sample Registration System report is based on a large population sample covering around 2.87 lakh people across Haryana. The survey included approximately 2.13 lakh people from rural areas and around 74,000 from urban regions.

Experts believe the findings provide valuable insights into the state's health and demographic situation. The improvement in infant mortality is encouraging, but challenges such as higher male mortality, urban infant deaths, and declining fertility rates require continued attention.

As Haryana moves forward, strengthening healthcare services, improving access to quality medical care, and raising awareness about maternal and child health will remain essential. The state's progress shows that positive change is possible, but sustained efforts will be needed to ensure healthier lives for future generations.