A Study of Factors Affecting Newborn Survival in District Vidisha Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

The birth of the Newborn is a dream and the most joyful moment for aspirant parents, family, and especially the mother who carries the baby in her womb for nine months. However, this joy ends on 'day one of birth' for more than 1 million families worldwide. It is the riskiest period in the entire life of any individual. Globally, about 2.6 million children die within a month of birth. In India, we lose about 640 thousand (24 percent of total global deaths) newborns every year, which means Seventy-three newborn babies take their last breath every hour in India. This number is more than the number of children dying in extreme or emergencies. Madhya Pradesh has the highest NMR in the country and has a slow decline compared to other states in the last decade. Seventy percent of Infant deaths take place in 28 days, and fifty-three percent are within the first seven days of life. In India, the major causes of newborn deaths are preterm birth (35 percent), birth asphyxia (20 percent), pneumonia (16 percent), and sepsis (15 percent). Neonatal Survival is a sensitive indicator of care during the life cycle and the well-being of society. The Human Development Index (HDI) is a powerful predictor of Infant and Maternal Mortality, which is measured by socioeconomic Indicators, too. National Health Policy (NHP) 2022 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have targeted reducing the Neonatal mortality rate to 12 or below by 2030. This can be possible only by working on all determinants of newborn Survival, including health system strengthening. To achieve these targets, the government of India and the state have launched the multi-dimensional India Newborn Action Plan (INAP), and many strategic interventions are being done to reduce the NMR; however, in past decades, the progress in reduction of NMR has been plodding. The study aims to examine the factors affecting newborn Survival using a conceptual framework prepared based on the Mosley and Chen model, which is built on the four key factors- 1. Socioeconomic Determinant, 2. Proximal Determinants, 3. Medical Intervention, and 4. Health System. The researcher has attempted to examine the factors that ensure newborn Survival.