How infant deaths in Keralam’s Attappady expose a deep-rooted health, social crisis

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In Attappady, maternal health remains a major concern. Anaemia among pregnant women continues to be widespread, while underweight mothers and low birth weight among newborns add to the risks (file image) | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The deaths of 12 infants, 10 of them from tribal communities, in Attappady in Keralam in recent months have once again cast a spotlight on a child health crisis that has defied solutions for over a decade. While the State government has set an expert assessment in motion, tribal organisations maintain that the roots of the crisis run deeper than healthcare, demanding sustained action on nutrition, maternal health, landlessness and the wider socio-economic conditions of the community.

Figures cited by tribal activists show that 124 infants have died in the region since 2011. Since 2012, Attappady has also recorded around 300 abortions, 90 intrauterine deaths and two dozen stillbirths. The region came under particular scrutiny in 2013, when 47 tribal infants died. Tribal observers estimate that around 10 children have died annually over the years.

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