States from the east and northeastern part of the country have registered a significant drop in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), reveals data released by the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) bulletin last month.

According to the SRS bulletin, Bihar, which has the highest density of population in the country, has recorded a drop of four points in IMR from 42 in 2015 to 38 in 2016. Infant Mortality Rate is counted as the number of deaths per 1,000 live births.

In Assam, the IMR has dropped from 47 to 43 and in Jharkhand, it has dropped from 32 to 29, the SRS bulletin, published by the office of Registrar General of India, states. In Odisha, the IMR have dropped from 46 to 44.

All-India IMR

West Bengal, which has been showing a steady decline over the past few years, has recorded a drop of one point from 26 in 2015 to 25 in 2016.

The all-India IMR has also decreased from 37 in 2015 to 34 in 2016. Among the five big States in eastern India, only West Bengal and Jharkhand have recorded IMR above the national average of 34. One of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals was reduction of child mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. In terms of IMR, this translated to 29 deaths per 1,000 live births to be achieved by 2015, which India fell short of achieving. Bidisha Pillai, policy director, India, Save the Children, said the Centre has plans to bring down neo-natal mortality, which accounts for two-thirds of IMR, to a single digit by 2030.