Dikhyaa Mohanty 
With the decline of 39 points in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) between 2005 and 2020, Odisha tops in the decline point list in the entire country.
According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin 2020 published by the Registrar General of India. Odisha is followed by Rajasthan, which has reported a decline of 36 points in IMR and Uttar Pradesh (35 points) during the period.
Odisha’s IMR now stands at 36/1000 live birth. The IMR, which is widely accepted as a crude indicator of the overall health scenario of a country or a region, is defined as the infant deaths (less than one year) per 1,000 live births in a given time period and for a given region.
The state has 94 first referral units to provide emergency care for delivery and newborn care facilities, of which 80 are providing cesarean section services.
The state has engaged 624 ambulances for free transportation services to pregnant women and infants. A total of 48,394 ASHAs are in place in the state to facilitate and promote health care service delivery for newborns and childcare at rural & urban community levels.
Further, Pediatric Hybrid ICUs are being established at the district headquarters hospital (DHH)-level in 29 districts while in three districts, it will be tagged to the nearest district for treatment of severely ill children and for step-down care, officials asserted.
There are four Intensive Care Units (PICU) functioning in the state for intensive care of severely ill children. The state is organising intensified Diarrhea control campaigns every year for improving awareness & management of childhood Diarrhea.
