National Safe Motherhood Day

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Maternal health is a key indicator of a country’s healthcare system, reflecting access to quality care, nutrition, and awareness. Maternal mortality, defined as the death of a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of childbirth, remains a critical concern, though India has made significant progress in reducing such deaths.

The day is marked by awareness campaigns, health camps, and community outreach programmes, aimed at educating families and strengthening healthcare systems to ensure that no woman dies from preventable pregnancy-related causes.

One of the key indicators of maternal mortality is maternal mortality ratio (MMR) which is defined as the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 100,000 live births during the same time period. It helps track progress in reducing preventable deaths, highlights gaps, and enables targeted interventions, better resource allocation, and policy planning.

India has seen steady improvement in maternal health outcomes. The country has achieved the National Health Policy target of reducing maternal mortality ratio (MMR) below 100 per 100,000 live births and is working towards the Sustainable Development Goal target of 70 by 2030.

Several flagship programmes have been implemented to improve maternal healthcare: Janani Suraksha Yojana: Promotes institutional deliveries Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana: Provides financial support for nutrition and wage loss Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram: Ensures free delivery, medicines, diagnostics, and transport Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan: Offers free antenatal care on a fixed day every month SUMAN initiative: Guarantees respectful and free maternal healthcare services

India has reduced its MMR significantly over the past decade, but disparities persist across states and regions. While some states have already achieved levels close to the SDG target of 70 deaths per 100,000 live births, others continue to report higher ratios, reflecting uneven access to quality maternal care. Gaps in antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, and emergency services, especially in rural areas, along with delays in care and factors like anaemia and poor nutrition, continue to drive preventable maternal deaths. Addressing this will require stronger primary healthcare, better referral systems, round-the-clock trained staff, and focused investment in high-burden regions.

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