Telangana Outperforms India in Maternal and Child Health Indicators

Hyderabad: Telangana has recorded better outcomes than the national average across key maternal and child health indicators, according to the Telangana Socio-Economic Outlook 2026.

Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) stands at 43 maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births in Telangana, which is lower than the national average of 88. Similarly, the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is 18 per 1,000 live births compared to 25 at the national level, as detailed in Socio Economic Outlook 2026. The Under-5 Mortality Rate is 22 against 29 nationally, while the Neonatal Mortality Rate is 14 compared to India’s 19.

The Total Fertility Rate in Telangana is also lower at 1.5, against the national figure of 1.9, indicating demographic stabilisation. Institutional deliveries in the state are at 99.9 per cent, higher than the national average of 88.6 per cent, reflecting strong public health outreach and access to hospital-based care.

The report attributes these outcomes to sustained investments in maternal healthcare and a lifecycle approach to women’s health. The programmes, such as Aarogya Mahila, have expanded screening services for cancer, micronutrient deficiencies, and reproductive health issues across 372 facilities. Around 28.33 lakh women have been screened under the initiative.

The government has also focused on nutrition interventions, monitoring gestational weight gain and providing targeted nutritional support to address anaemia and malnutrition. Mental health screening has been integrated into routine maternal care to support women during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Officials noted that improved maternal outcomes are linked to strengthened antenatal care (ANC) protocols. The state aims to ensure 95 per cent early registration of pregnancies in the first trimester and that at least 90 per cent of pregnant women receive four or more ANC visits.

Efforts to manage high-risk pregnancies have placed Telangana among the top-performing states, with standard operating procedures implemented for 20 identified high-risk conditions. The state has also expanded access to diagnostic services, with 234 TIFFA scan machines installed across 69 secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities. Between April and December 2025, over 60,000 pregnant women availed these services.