With Karnataka recording the highest maternal mortality ratio (MMR) among southern States during 2021–2023, public health experts and policymakers have called for urgent measures to address the gap.
According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2023, released this month, Karnataka’s MMR has shot up to 68 deaths per one lakh live births in 2021-23 from 58 in 2020-22, while Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu report figures largely in 30s. Telangana’s MMR is 59.
The issue was the focus of a day-long conference on “Reducing Maternal Mortality in Karnataka,” organised by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), Karnataka Regional Branch, in partnership with R.V. University’s Centre for Global Health and Development, in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, in his keynote address, said the State Cabinet had approved a mission to guarantee round-the-clock maternal health services at taluk hospitals and major community health centres. “In this year’s Budget, our Chief Minister has announced a ₹320-crore mission to bring preventable maternal deaths to zero. Our immediate target is to bring MMR down from 68 to 40 within two-and-a-half years, and eventually to 20 to meet global benchmarks,” he said.
Medical Education and Skill Development Minister Sharan Prakash R. Patil stressed the need to integrate maternal health priorities into medical training and workforce planning.
Calling preventable maternal deaths a “silent crisis,” Ranjini C. Raghavendra, Director of the Centre for Global Health and Development, R.V. University, observed that Karnataka’s achievements were inadequate compared to neighbouring States. “For a State of our intellect and resources, failing to keep pace with our neighbours is a harsh truth. The ₹320-crore mission must be more than an allocation — it must be a guarantee,” she said.
B. L. Sujatha Rathod, Director of Medical Education, underlined the need for continuous upgrading of skills to handle high-risk pregnancies.
The conference concluded with a call for a State-level maternal mortality acceleration plan, combining immediate lifesaving interventions with long-term investments in infrastructure, workforce and community engagement.
Published – September 26, 2025 07:44 pm IST
