Swacha Bharat helped avert 60000 infant deaths per year

Last Updated07/09/2024

Access to toilets and better sanitation services under the government’s Swachh Bharat Mission may have averted around 60,000 to 70,000 infant deaths annually

A study published in Nature reveals that access to toilets and improved sanitation under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) helped avert 60,000-70,000 infant deaths annually between 2014 and 2020.
The Swachh Bharat Mission, launched on October 2, 2014, has successfully constructed over 11 crore household toilets in rural areas and over 63 lakh toilets in urban areas, contributing significantly to improved sanitation and health outcomes.

The study titled “Toilet Construction under the Swachh Bharat Mission and Infant Mortality in India” analyzed the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and the Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) across 35 states and 640 districts in India from 2011 to 2020.
While a general decline in infant mortality was noted from 2003-2020, the reduction post-2015 was particularly significant.
- In 2003, the average toilet coverage per district was below 40%, but by 2020, this had increased to over 60%.
- Districts with just 30% toilet coverage saw a marked reduction in infant mortality, contributing to an estimated 60,000-70,000 infant deaths averted annually across the country.

The study found a robust inverse relationship between toilet access and child mortality, affirming that increased toilet access, thanks to SBM, contributed significantly to reduced infant mortality. The report stated:
“Toilet access and child mortality have a historically robust inverse association in India... Based on our regression estimates, the provision of toilets at-scale may have contributed to averting approximately 60,000–70,000 infant deaths annually.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the study’s findings, stating that proper toilet access has been a "game-changer for public health" and played a vital role in reducing infant mortality in India.

One of the study's authors, Suman Chakrabarti, emphasized that preventable infectious diseases account for a large proportion of infant and under-five deaths in India.
He highlighted that improved sanitation and behaviour change communication under SBM significantly reduced the burden of these diseases, thereby improving child health.
However, Chakrabarti also pointed out the need for sustaining the momentum of SBM through investments in clean water and municipal waste disposal for long-term public health benefits.

In 2003, the infant mortality rate in most districts exceeded 60 per 1,000 live births, with a district mean of 48.9.
By 2020, the IMR had dropped below 30 per 1,000 live births, with a district mean of 23.5.
States like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan showed significant improvements, while pockets of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh still report higher mortality rates (45-60 per 1,000 live births).
The study underscored how improved sanitation has played a pivotal role in decreasing infant mortality rates across the country.