Improved yet Unsafe: An Aquatic Perspective of Indian Infant Mortality

Abstract

Infant mortality rate (IMR) is an important development indicator and a vital component of millennium development goals (MDGs) set by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). According to UNDP, so far India has only fared moderately in reducing IMR (Goal 4 of MDGs). India (32) ranks 144th among 196 countries regarding IMR as per the 2017 data availed from World Development Indicators. Its adjacent countries such as Bhutan (25.6), Bangladesh (26.9) and Nepal (27.8) have fared much better regarding infant survival. Numbers within the parentheses indicate the IMR of the respective country. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has identified that IMR among families with better access to improved drinking water sources and toilet is much lower than those bereft of the same. This inference has been drawn from National Family Health Survey 3 data (NFHS III). The present study investigates into the aforementioned relation analysing NFHS IV data. The result depicts that contrary to UNICEF’s findings, IMR increases with better accessibility to improved water sources. Further to this, the article shows that an additional aqua-related practice together with improved drinking water sources might lead to the betterment of IMR for India.

Demystifying the Aquatic Paradox: The Infant Mortality in India

“…Such a comment might be valid, but neither is it built upon a sound literature review nor does it stand on strong empirics. At this juncture, the present article tests the claim of Banerjee et al (2020) based on pure empirics.…”

“…Once the NFHS 4 data came out (IIPS, 2017), Arun et al (2017), followed by Tripathy and Mishra (2017), analysed the concerned data and supported the previous findings of UNICEF and Sahu et al (2015). As the theory was developing that better access to improved water sources leads to lowering the IMR, Banerjee et al (2020) gave an entirely different picture. They proved empirically by analysing NFHS 4 data that with increase in better access to improved water sources, IMR actually increases.…”

“…Initially, it undertakes a very brief literature review, followed by a detailed methodology, discussion of the results and ends with a conclusion. The literature review has been intentionally left short as the focus of the article is on the article written by Banerjee et al (2020).…”

“…However, for India, such inference is ambiguous. There is a strong group of academicians such as Sahu et al (2015), Arun et al (2017) and Tripathy and Mishra (2017) and organizations such as UNICEF that firmly believe that if access to the improved water sources can be improved, then there would be tremendous social welfare and much betterment to the IMR. On the other hand, Banerjee et al (2020) have refuted such claims and opined that access to improved water sources increases the IMR. The empirical validation of their claim has been flawless, but they are somewhat silent on why such a direct relationship between IMR and improved water source exists.…”

“…On the other hand, Banerjee et al (2020) have refuted such claims and opined that access to improved water sources increases the IMR. The empirical validation of their claim has been flawless, but they are somewhat silent on why such a direct relationship between IMR and improved water source exists.…”