Bhubaneswar: Registering the steepest improvement among major states, Odisha has reduced its Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by 29 points from 153 per one lakh live births in 2021-23 to 124 in 2022-24, according to a special bulletin released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation. The state, however, continues to be among the top five states nationally with a high MMR, says the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) special bulletin on maternal mortality.The latest data show that Odisha recorded 124 maternal deaths per one lakh live births in 2022-24, far above the national average of 87. Chhattisgarh also recorded an MMR of 124. The SRS bulletin for 2021-23 reported an MMR of 153 per one lakh live births for Odisha, which was the highest in the country. The national average during that period stood at 88.The report further points to a decrease in the lifetime risk of maternal mortality, which describes the cumulative loss of life due to maternal deaths over the female life course. While this lifetime risk was 0.31% in 2021-23, it came down to 0.24% in the 2022-24 period.Public health expert Dr Niranjan Mishra said Odisha has consistently reduced its MMR over a period. A decade back, the MMR was officially recorded at 180, according to the SRS 2014-2016 bulletin. “There is a multi-pronged strategy that the state is working on to improve maternal health, beginning from ante-natal check-ups, early diagnosis of pregnancy complications, anaemia correction to institutional delivery, which is 93.9% now,” Dr Mishra said, adding that besides these measures, a pregnant woman and new mother are provided with supplementary nutrition through anganwadis. “The state is on the right path towards bringing down the MMR and like any policy intervention, this will take some time to reach the national average level,” he said.Despite the improvement, some experts said structural challenges continue to impede faster progress, particularly in tribal and remote regions.A study by Fakir Mohan University on maternal health and access to institutional delivery among tribal women in Odisha, published in a Scopus-indexed journal last month, found that geographical isolation, traditional beliefs among certain tribes and communities, poor transport connectivity, inadequate access to emergency obstetric care and low awareness of maternal health schemes continue to contribute to the deaths among tribal communities.Many women in remote areas still face delays in reaching healthcare facilities during pregnancy-related emergencies, said Sipra Sagarika, assistant professor at the university, who conducted the study along with research scholar Sandhyarani Das.“Although tribal women are increasingly availing themselves of nutritional support and institutional delivery assistance provided by the govt, cultural notions surrounding pregnancy and dependence on ethno-medicines continue to pose challenges,” she said.
