Over 14,500 child deaths across seven Maharashtra districts in three years: minister

Seven districts in Maharashtra recorded a total of 14,526 child deaths over the past three years, Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar told the state legislative assembly on Friday, citing official government data.

Abitkar shared the figures in a written reply to a question raised by BJP legislator Sneha Dubey. The districts reporting the highest numbers include Pune, Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Amravati, Akola and Yavatmal.

The tally covers deaths of infants and children under five admitted to government facilities, as well as cases related to severe malnutrition. In addition, the minister highlighted that Palghar district, with a significant tribal population, recorded 138 infant deaths during the period.

Drawing on data from the state health department as of November 2025, Abitkar noted that 203 children were identified with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 2,666 with Moderate Acute Malnutrition.

The proportion of underweight children was recorded at 0.23 per cent, while 1.48 per cent were moderately underweight.

Citing the Sample Registration System 2022, released by the Registrar General of India, Abitkar added that Maharashtra’s neonatal mortality rate stood at 11 per 1,000 live births, significantly lower than the national average of 23.

The minister emphasised that the state government has implemented multiple initiatives under the Integrated Child Development Services programme to tackle malnutrition. These measures include regular health examinations, the Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Amrut Aahar Yojana for pregnant women, targeted interventions for SAM children, the Nutrition Campaign, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, and the ‘Suposhit Maharashtra’ initiative.

Abitkar said these efforts aim to improve child health outcomes and reduce preventable deaths across the state.

With PTI inputs