Passage

India accounts for nearly a fifth of the world’s child deaths. In terms of numbers, it is the highest in the world — nearly 16 lakhs every year. Of these, more than half die in the first month of life. Officials believe that the reason for this is the absence of steps to propagate basic health practices relating to breastfeeding and immunisation. Also, the large reproductive population of 2.6 crore remains benefit of care during the critical phases of pregnancy and post-delivery. Added to this is the prevalence of child marriages, anaemia among young women and lack of focus on adolescent sanitation, all of which impact child death rates.

Question

CSATEasyPrelims 2015Comprehension

Which is the critical inference that can be made from the above passage?

Explanation

A is incorrect: The passage does not mention illiteracy as the primary cause of child deaths.

B is incorrect: While population size is significant, the passage focuses on lack of health practices, not governmental capacity.

Statement C is correct. Because the passage highlights that the absence of health practices like breastfeeding, immunisation, and maternal care, coupled with other social issues, is a major cause of child mortality. Integrating maternal and child health services could address these problems.

D is incorrect: The passage indirectly indicates that factors like anaemia among women affect child mortality rates.