On Sunday, the World Health Organization praise India's progress in reducing the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by 77%. According to their statistics rates have dropped from 556 per 1,00,000 live births in 1990 to 130 per 1,00,000 live births in 2016. As a result of achieving this milestone, hopes are high for India to be on track towards reaching their Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of an MMR below 70 by 2030. 

According to Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, India has been actively making efforts in making maternal health services widely available and vital maternal health services have doubled since 2005. She also commented that the total amount of institutional deliveries in public hospitals nearly between 2005 and 2016, rising from 18% in 2005 to 52 %. With private hospitals included, institutional deliveries currently amount to 79 %).

Singh also added that the country has put tremendous focus on alleviating the social determents of maternal health and women in India are more educated than before, with 68% of all women being able to read and write.

Now the Indian women’s are also getting married at an older age, with just 27 %now wedded before the age of 18. This aspect alone has enabled women to control their reproductive lives and take their own decisions that reflect their own regards and wants. "Finally, the government has put in substantive efforts to facilitate positive engagement between the public and private healthcare providers. "Campaigns such as the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan have been introduced with great impact, allowing women access to antenatal check-ups, obstetric gynecologists and to track high-risk pregnancies, exactly what is needed to make further gains and achieve the SDG targets" Singh said.