Maharashtra Logs 14,526 Child Deaths In 3 Years
The minister also acknowledged that Palghar, a tribal-dominated district, reported 138 deaths of infants and young children (aged 0–6 years) in the past six months, underscoring persistent concerns over maternal and child health in vulnerable regions.
Mumbai: Maharashtra recorded 14,526 child deaths across seven districts in the past three years, state public health minister Prakash Abitkar informed the Assembly on Friday. Responding to a question by BJP MLA Sneha Dubey, Mr. Abitkar said in a written reply that Pune, Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Amravati, Akola and Yavatmal together reported 14,526 deaths of infants and children under five between 2022-23 and 2024-25.
The data includes children admitted to government health facilities as well as those suffering from severe malnutrition.
The minister also acknowledged that Palghar, a tribal-dominated district, reported 138 deaths of infants and young children (aged 0–6 years) in the past six months, underscoring persistent concerns over maternal and child health in vulnerable regions.
Mr. Abitkar said that the weight and height of 1,34,362 children aged six months to six years were measured in Palghar till October this year. Of these, 303 children were found to be suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 2,663 from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM).
Under the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030, the neonatal mortality rate must be brought below 12 per 1,000 live births. Citing data from the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2023, released by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India in September 2025, Mr. Abitkar said Maharashtra’s neonatal mortality rate stands at 11 per 1,000 live births — already within the SDG threshold.
The minister said the state has initiated several measures under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to combat malnutrition. These include supplementary nutrition (Purak Poshan Aahar), regular health check-ups, the ‘Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Amrut Aahar Yojana’ for pregnant women, targeted interventions for SAM-affected children, the Nutrition Campaign, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, and the ‘Suposhit Mumbai’ programme.
Mr. Abitkar added that the Health Department is also focusing on promoting institutional deliveries, early registration of pregnant women, mandatory antenatal check-ups, follow-ups, and schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan and the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram.
