India Infant Mortality Rates: The impact of efforts to improve health services in India is now gradually becoming visible in the statistics as well. In the last few years, there has been a decline in the infant mortality rate in the country i.e. cases of death of children within one year after birth. This change is considered to be an indication that awareness has increased in hospitals regarding delivery, maternal health services and care of newborn children. However, the picture cannot be called completely good.

Some states of the country have done excellent work in reducing the infant mortality rate, while many states are still lagging far behind. The situation is especially worrying in rural areas, where even today many newborn babies die within a few days or months of birth. The data revealed in the 2024 report of the Sample Registration System (SRS) has sparked a new discussion about the health of children across the country. According to the report, there has been a decline in the infant mortality rate in India, but a huge difference still remains between the states.

How much has the infant mortality rate decreased in the country?

According to the report, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in India was 30 per 1000 live births in 2019, which has come down to 24 in 2024, that is, an average decline of one point was recorded every year. Now fewer children are losing their lives within a year of birth than before. This is being considered a big sign of improvement in health services, yet the situation has not completely improved. The report shows that even now one out of every 42 children in the country does not reach his first birthday. The situation is more serious in rural areas, where one in every 37 children dies.

Which states have the worst situation?

According to the report, the highest infant mortality rate was recorded in Chhattisgarh. Here, 36 infants died per 1000 children. This was followed by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, where IMR 35 was recorded. There are still many challenges regarding health services in these states. Experts believe that just increasing hospital deliveries will not completely eliminate the problem. Care, nutrition and timely treatment of newborn children is equally important.

These states performed brilliantly

While some states are lagging behind, many states have also performed well. Kerala recorded the lowest infant mortality rate in the country, which was only 8. This was followed by Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi, where IMR 11 was recorded. Experts say that due to better health facilities, awareness and good level of education of women in these states, the cases of child deaths have decreased.

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There is still more danger in rural areas

According to the report, the infant mortality rate in rural areas remains higher than in cities. The biggest difference was seen between rural and urban areas in Assam. Lack of health facilities in rural areas, availability of doctors and lack of awareness are considered to be the major reasons for this. The report also revealed that there is a difference in the infant mortality rate of boys and girls in many states. This difference was most visible in Bihar. In Bihar, IMR of boys was 21, while that of girls was 25. The situation was opposite in Jammu and Kashmir, where the death rate of boys was higher than that of girls.

The first 28 days after birth are the most dangerous.

According to experts, most deaths of infants occur within the first 28 days after birth. This is called Neo-Natal Mortality Rate. About 73 percent of total infant deaths in the country occurred within the first 28 days of birth. India’s neonatal mortality rate was recorded at 18 per 1000 live births. In this case too, Kerala was the best state, where this rate was only 6, whereas in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh this rate was highest at 26, Uttar Pradesh was also among the states raising concerns with the figure of 25.

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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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Pesticides Exposure Cancer Risk : In our daily life, many types of chemicals can be present in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. One of these important chemical groups is pesticides, which are used in agriculture to protect crops from insects and diseases.

Recently a new international research has increased the concern. According to this study, the risk of developing certain types of cancer can increase by 150 percent in people living in areas where pesticides are used heavily. This report is being considered a serious warning regarding environmental health and the effects of chemicals.

What does the new study say?

This research has been published in the journal Nature Health. It has been told that people are exposed to not just one but many pesticides simultaneously. Earlier studies were done by looking at each chemical separately, but in real life we ​​live under mixture exposure i.e. the combined effect of many chemicals. This study has analyzed this situation keeping this situation in mind, which makes it more important than earlier research. The South American country Peru was chosen for this study.

Why was Peru chosen?

Agriculture is done on a large scale in the South American country Peru. Different types of environmental zones exist. Social and economic inequalities are high. Therefore, Peru was chosen for this study. In such a situation, research here found that rural and tribal communities are most affected. Many people were found to be affected by about 12 different pesticides simultaneously. This level was very high in many places.

How was the analysis done in the research?

Scientists studied 31 commonly used pesticides. Tracked their spread from 2014 to 2019 and compared them with health data of more than 1.5 lakh cancer patients from 2007 to 2020, the research found that areas with higher levels of pesticides also had more cancer cases. The special thing is that the pesticides that were studied have not yet been considered carcinogenic under WHO. Despite this, their combined effect was seen to have serious effects on health.

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What is the effect on the body?

According to research, pesticides affect the body gradually. These interfere with the normal functioning of cells. Can weaken the body’s immunity in the long run. The liver is most affected by this. These changes are not visible immediately, but over time can cause serious diseases. In today’s time, safety testing of chemicals usually tests each chemical separately and sets safe limits for it, but the problem is that in real life people are exposed to many chemicals simultaneously.

What else was told in the research?

Research also suggests that climate changes such as El Niño may affect the use and spread of pesticides. This may further increase the amount of these chemicals in the environment. Although this study is based on Peru, its findings can be applied worldwide because in many countries where agriculture is carried out on a large scale, the use of pesticides is common. Rules and monitoring are not the same everywhere. Therefore it can become a global health concern.

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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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The country’s general budget will be presented on 1 February 2026. This will be the ninth consecutive budget of Finance Minister Nitin Nirmala Sitharaman, which is a big record in itself. This time, the highest expectations from the budget are being placed on the health sector. In fact, after the Corona epidemic, it has become clear that the foundation of a strong economy of any country rests on a strong health system. Even today in India, the cost of treatment remains a big problem for the common man. Due to lack of facilities in government hospitals and expensive treatment in private hospitals, it is believed that the government may increase the expenditure on the health sector in Budget 2026. In such a situation, let us now tell you what is the plan to make India a global health center and after this how big will be the health budget of the country?

India’s health expenditure is still less than the world

If seen globally, India still spends less on health services. In developed countries, health constitutes a large part of GDP, whereas India’s expenditure is considered less than many developing countries. According to the World Bank’s 2022 report, India spends only 3 to 4 percent of its GDP on health services. Whereas in America this expenditure is about 17 to 18 percent. Although in the last few years, the government has focused on digital health, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, expansion of medical colleges and affordable medicines, but the need is still increasing.

What did the health sector get in the last budget?

In the budget for the financial year 2025-26, the Health Ministry had made a provision of about Rs 1 lakh crore, which was about 11 percent more than last year. In this, expansion of Ayushman Bharat scheme, exemption in custom duty on cancer medicines, extra funds for new medical colleges and institutions like AIIMS were announced. This makes it clear that the health sector is already included in the priorities of the government.

What is expected from Budget 2026?

There are great expectations regarding the health sector from the Budget 2026 to be released on 1st February. Because it plays an important role in deciding the direction of the health services of the country. Experts believe that if the government increases the health budget, it will strengthen primary health services and improve the availability of infrastructure, modern equipment and medicines in government hospitals. Apart from this, it is expected from Budget 2026 that the government will increase the number and facilities of government hospitals and strengthen the health insurance structure in rural areas. It will make medicines more affordable and expand the scope of schemes like Ayushman Bharat. Apart from this, expansion of health insurance coverage, preventive care, investment in digital health and medical research are also likely to be included in the major priorities of this budget. Greater allocation for healthcare infrastructure, technology and preventive services will improve patient outcomes, especially in tier-II and tier-III cities. There is also a widespread expectation that special attention will be paid to women and child health.

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