The story so far: According to the latest report of the Registrar General of India (RGI), the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in the country has reduced by 10 points – from 113 in 2016-18 to 103 in 2017-19. MMR is defined as the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 100,000 live births during the same time period. States like Kerala, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have shown more than 15% decline in the MMR, while Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have shown a decline between 10-15%.
With this steady decline, India is on track to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target to reduce the maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Jharkhand have already achieved the SDG target, with the number of deaths as low as 30 in some states.
