Bengaluru, Karnataka, 30th of September, 2025 : Each year, thousands of families in Karnataka face a tragedy that should have never occurred. The death of a child before their first birthday.
As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2022 report, Karnataka’s Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is 20 per 1,000 live births. That is, for every one lakh babies born in the state, close to 2,000 will not survive their first birthday.
To place this in context, Kerala has an IMR of only 4, Tamil Nadu 13, and Maharashtra 17 and the national average is 26. In comparison while Karnataka is better than many states, it still trails its southern counterparts. These variations aren’t statistics, they’re preventable tragedies and systemic failures.
In most cases the reasons are Low birth weight and prematurity (accounting for 30-35% of infant deaths), Infections such as pneumonia, sepsis, and diarrhoea (20-25%), Birth asphyxia and intrapartum trauma (15-20%), Congenital malformations (approximately 10%)
The majority of these deaths can be prevented with early prenatal and postnatal care. Antenatal check-ups at regular intervals, treatment of maternal anemia (which is present in nearly 45% of pregnant women in Karnataka), proper nutrition, and institutional delivery can go a long way in curbing mortality. However, rural districts still report shortages in access to specialists and advanced newborn units.
[22:41, 30/9/2025] Tripura Star News: Vaccination is an effective force. The government’s National Immunisation Schedule (NIS) includes the basics such as BCG, polio, measles, and diphtheria. Yet illnesses such as rotavirus diarrhoea, pneumococcal pneumonia, flu, hepatitis A, and chickenpox which cut short young lives are preventable through other vaccines advocated by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP). Unfortunately, most parents forego these on account of them being “optional.” Optional cannot imply unnecessary. Broader consumption of these vaccines can cut infant mortality further.
The path ahead is unambiguously clear. Karnataka requires two approaches: ramp up public health infrastructure in the hinterland and make parents aware. Exclusively breastfeeding the infant, early identification of jaundice or infection, safe weaning, and availability of NICU facilities can save lives.
Every infant saved is a family spared grief, and a citizen added to the state’s future. Karnataka has the medical expertise and economic capacity to reduce IMR to single digits like in Kerala. What is required now is urgency, awareness, and collective will.
Infant mortality is not just a number it is a mirror reflecting how we, as a society, value our most vulnerable lives. Karnataka’s fight against infant mortality demands both systemic reform and societal awareness. Most infant deaths are preventable with timely prenatal care, access to neonatal services, maternal nutrition, and essential as well as optional vaccinations. Rural disparities, lack of infrastructure, and low awareness among parents continue to hinder outcomes. This is not merely a public health issue but a moral one. Every child saved is a step toward a stronger, healthier Karnataka. Reducing the Infant Mortality Rate to single digits is not a distant goal but an achievable one, provided there is urgency, investment, and community participation. The future of Karnataka lies in its youngest citizens. Let us ensure they survive and thrive.
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