Life expectancy at birth for Indian males and females corresponding to the mid year 2003 was 62.3 and 63.9 years respectively, giving an overall life expectancy as 63.2 years.
The Office of Registrar General of India in a release said that the life expectancy at birth for Indian males and females corresponding to the mid year 2003 was 62.3 and 63.9 years respectively, giving an overall life expectancy as 63.2 years.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Smt. Panabaaka Lakshmi in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.Further, as per the report “State of the World’s Children, 2008, published by UNICEF, the life expectancy at birth for Japan and USA are 82 and 78 years respectively in 2006. Statement-I gives the Life Expectancy at birth for selected countries including India.
To improve primary health care system and provide medical facilities to citizens in rural areas, the Government has initiated comprehensive health sector reforms. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is the main vehicle for these reforms and is a flagship programme of the Government. It is being operationalized throughout the country, with special focus on 18 states, which includes 8 Empowered Action Group States (Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Orissa and Rajasthan), 8 North-East States, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The main aim of NRHM is to provide accessible, affordable, accountable, effective and reliable primary health care facilities, especially, to the poor and vulnerable sections of the population. NRHM seeks to strengthen the Public Health delivery services at all levels. The interventions/initiatives launched under the NRHM aim to reduce mortality and morbidity so that the life expectancy of the people will improve.
The Infant Mortality Rate of India and some selected countries was released.
Government of India has initiated several measures to bring down the Infant Mortality Rate in the country. A major initiative is the implementation of the Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (IMNCI) strategy, which adopts a holistic approach to the management of the commonest causes of neonatal and childhood mortality – sepsis, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, measles and malaria, all compounded by malnutrition. IMNCI is to be implemented throughout the country in a phased manner. In addition, thrust is being given to ensure institutional deliveries and train health personnel on essential newborn care so that skilled attendance at birth is available and all newborns receive specialized care. Efforts to deliver newborn, both facility based as well as home based, are being made. Micronutrient supplementation with Vitamin A, Iron Folic Acid and Zinc, Infant and Young Child Nutrition are being stressed. Immunization is one of the major thrust areas of the ongoing Reproductive & Child Health Programme.
The National Rural Health Mission, launched in April, 2005 for a period of 7 years (2005 to 2012) is an overarching initiative with a holistic approach which provides multiple strategic approach, like provision for health infrastructure up-gradation and a health care worker for every 1000 population, among others and has envisaged reduction in Infant Mortality as one of the prime goals to be achieved
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| Life expectancy at birth (years) and Infant Mortality Rates - Selected Countries | |||
| S. No | Countries and territorie | Infant mortality rate (under 1) | Life expectancy at birth (years) |
| 2006 | 2006 | ||
| 1 | Afghanistan | 165 | 43 |
| 2 | Australia | 5 | 81 |
| 3 | Austria | 4 | 80 |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 52 | 63 |
| 5 | Bhutan | 63 | 65 |
| 6 | Brazil | 19 | 72 |
| 7 | Canada | 5 | 80 |
| 8 | China | 20 | 73 |
| 9 | France | 4 | 80 |
| 10 | Germany | 4 | 79 |
| 11 | India * | 57 | 63.2 |
| 12 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 30 | 71 |
| 13 | Japan | 3 | 82 |
| 14 | Kuwait | 9 | 77 |
| 15 | Mexico | 29 | 76 |
| 16 | New Zealand | 5 | 80 |
| 17 | Pakistan | 78 | 65 |
| 18 | Singapore | 2 | 80 |
| 19 | Spain | 4 | 81 |
| 20 | Sri Lanka | 11 | 72 |
| 21 | Sweden | 3 | 81 |
| 22 | Switzerland | 4 | 81 |
| 23 | United Kingdom | 5 | 79 |
| 24 | United States | 6 | 78 |
Source: (1) Extracts from "State of World's Children 2008" brought out by UNICEF
* For India, data from the Sample Registration System of the Registrar General of India has been used, which is the official source for such estimates. Life Expectancy for India corresponding to the year 2003
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