MONITORING CHILD MORTALITY IN THE NORTH EASTERN STATES OF INDIA: AN INDEX BASED APPROACH

Purpose:The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations, seek to address pressing global challenges, with SDG 3 specifically targeting the reduction of child mortality by 2030. The purpose of this paper is to construct indices for two key indicators of SDG 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age, in the eight North Eastern (NE) states of India, one for neonatal mortality and the other for under five mortality using data from the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS). This research highlights the importance of targeted approaches to lower child mortality in the region, emphasizing the role of localized efforts in achieving global health goals. Design / Methodology:Data is taken from the NFHS India V and the eight State Reports. Through min-max normalization, first, separate indices are developed for neonatal and under-five mortality for each of the eight states of North East India. These two are then aggregated into a composite index for each state. Findings:The findings reveal significant regional variations, with states like Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh achieving notable progress, while Assam and Tripura continue to face higher mortality rates. The paper concludes that separate indices offer more precise insights than aggregate indices, facilitating better decision-making in the context of localized healthcare challenges in North Eastern India. By constructing separate indices for neo natal and under five mortality rates in the NE states, this study provides a clearer understanding of where each state stands in relation to the SDG targets, allowing for more focused interventions and data-driven policymaking.