Strengthening of the rural health infrastructure through the National Rural Health Mission has resulted in a whopping 71.6 per cent institutional deliveries across India as compared to only 41 per cent earlier.

According to the latest performance report of the NRHM available with the health ministry, a total of 1,08,60,718 institutional deliveries took place till January 31 this year.

The number of children fully immunised till that time across the country is 78.8 per cent (1,98,16,614).

Family planning also seems to have got a boost with number of male and female sterilisations conducted till date being 39,58,471 that is 3.2 per cent of the unsterilised couples.

A total of 23,458 primary health centres (PHC) have been set up till now while the available requirement as per NRHM goals is 27,000.

The number of community health centres which has been upgraded is 5,907 as compared to 7,000 envisioned under the NRHM.

A number of health sub-centres have also been upgraded and opened. While the required figure under the NRHM is 1,75,000, the available sub-centres are now 1,46,036.

The sub-centres which are functional without Auxiliary nurses and midwives (ANM) are 8,745, with one ANM 1,37,291 and with two ANMs 40,426.

India has the largest number of births in the world at 27 million and with high maternal mortality of 300-500 per one lakh births, this is about 20 per cent of the global burden.

The NRHM was launched by the Prime Minister on April 12, 2005. The Mission seeks to provide effective health care to the rural population, with special focus on 18 states, which have weak public health indicators and weak infrastructure.