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India declared tetanus free for mothers, newborns: Modi

Xinhua, August 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that mothers and newborns are free from tetanus at the time of birth in India.

Inaugurating the Call to Action Summit 2015 which is aimed at reducing child and maternal deaths across the world, Modi said the event will help the developing countries to tackle health challenges related to women and child.

"Indian was declared polio free because of the collective efforts of several stakeholders. I am happy to inform you that today the WHO has declared India maternal and neonatal tetanus free," he told over 600 delegates from across the world attending the two-day summit to discuss initiatives to reduce maternal and child mortality rate.

Indian Health Minister J.P. Nadda and the health ministers of several nations including Senegal, South Sudan, Afghanistan and Ethiopia were among those who are attending the international conference.

WHO said there are 24 countries that make up for 36 percent of the global population and account for 70 percent of child and maternal deaths.

Mali has the highest Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) at 78, while South Sudan has the highest Mother Mortality Rate (MMR) at 730.

India's IMR stands at 40 while the MMR stands at 167, drastically down from 380 and 540 in 1990. Endi