IMR, Under-5 death rates drop to 17
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 23: J&K has achieved the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) benchmarks for child mortality, recording Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) figures well below the national average, according to the Annual Report 2024-25 of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The report states that J&K recorded an IMR of 17, compared to the national average of 28. The Union Territory’s U5MR also stands at 17, significantly lower than the all-India figure of 32 and already meeting the SDG target of 25.
With these outcomes, J&K ranks among the country’s top-performing regions on key child survival indicators.
Data from the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2020 further highlight this progress, showing the UT’s Early Neonatal Mortality Rate at eight per 1,000 live births-nearly half the national average of 15.
The Neonatal Mortality Rate is reported at 12, meeting the SDG target set for 2030 and placing J&K among a small group of states and Union Territories that have already achieved this milestone.
The report attributes the decline in child mortality to sustained improvements in public health delivery, expanded access to maternal and child healthcare services, and stronger integration with national health programmes.
Focused interventions such as increased institutional deliveries, wider immunisation coverage and strengthened primary healthcare systems have played a key role.
J&K figures prominently across sections dealing with mortality trends, flagship health schemes, infrastructure development and targeted interventions.
However, despite strong child health indicators, the UT has been classified as a Low Performing State under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), a categorisation linked to institutional delivery performance.
Under the JSY, pregnant women in rural areas are entitled to Rs 1,400 for institutional deliveries, while urban beneficiaries receive Rs 1,000. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are eligible for incentives of Rs 600 in rural areas and Rs 400 in urban areas.
Owing to its hilly terrain, J&K continues to receive central assistance under a 90:10 Centre-State funding pattern.
The report also outlines health infrastructure support extended to the UT.
J&K currently has three allopathic Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) dispensaries-two in Jammu and one in Srinagar-while no Ayush dispensary is operational.
One nursing college in the UT has had its foundation stone laid under the national scheme to establish 157 colleges of nursing across the country.
A key intervention highlighted is Mission UTKARSH in Srinagar, launched after the district was flagged for poor performance on select health indicators.
The initiative aimed to improve district-level outcomes beyond state and national averages within a two-year period.
Between April 2021 and March 2024, coverage of four or more antenatal care visits in Srinagar rose from about 50 per cent to over 75 per cent.
Full immunisation increased from nearly 53 per cent to more than 90 per cent, while screening under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) showed steady progress.
The number of health and wellness centres exceeded targets, and institutional deliveries reached 100 per cent.
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