Maternal mortality and morbidity: Action for India

Maternal morbidity results in socio-economic problems and maternal mortality is socio-economic tragedy. Both have negative socioeconomic and demographic impact. Manifestations of the determinants of maternal mortality and morbidity are provided here along with estimates of socioeconomic and demographic effects. Achievement of maternal mortality ratio= 70 per 100,000 implies at least 11261 Indian families will be motherless in a year due to pregnancy related problems, reducing female labour force participation by over 4166 affecting adversely the economy and demographic dividend being enjoyed by India. Declining trend of birth rate coupled with high rate of child death may not help to achieve the desired rate of inflows from child population to working-age population. Thus India needs to go beyond SDG 3.1 and implement integrated policies to arrest the relevant factors of maternal health.