The decline in under-five mortality or death of children below the age of five has doubled during the National Health Mission (NHM) period, JP Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, said on Wednesday during a briefing on Cabinet decisions.

The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) took off in 2005 and in 2013 NHRM and the National Urban Health Mission were turned into sub-missions under NHM. According to the latest National Family Health Survey 4, under-five mortality dipped by about 32 per cent in 10 years — to 50 per 1000 live births in 2015-16 from 74 per 1000 live births in 2005-06.

Nadda further claimed that the Millennium Development Goal 6 target of halting and reversing the incidents of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV has been achieved.

“Number of endemic blocks with prevalence more than 1 case of Kala Azar per 10,000 population was 230 in 2010. It has been brought down to 94 blocks in 2016,” an official statement said.

The government has also decided to relax the norms for the number of mobile medical units per 10 lakh population where the number of patients on a daily basis stands over 60 in plain areas and 30 a day in hilly areas, the statement said.

The Cabinet, meanwhile, has also approved introduction of the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Parliament.

“The Cabinet has given its approval for introduction of the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Parliament subject to modifications of drafting or consequential nature, if any, as may be considered necessary by the Legislative Department by amending the Dentists Act, 1948 (16 of 1948). The amendment will reduce the redundancy,” an official statement said.

The clauses which are going to be amended look into the guidelines for membership of the Dental Council of India and membership of State and Joint State Dental Councils.

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