World Population Day: Health Minister flags off mobile awareness units

The State has already reached national target, he said, noting that while the National Fertility Rate is 2.2, the Total Fertility Rate of Tamil Nadu was 1.6 in 2018 itself. The maternal mortality rate (2016-18) is 60 per lakh live births. Infant mortality is 15 per thousand live births according to 2018 figure. The higher birth order that was about 10.6 per cent in 2010 had dropped to 7.2 per cent by 2019, he said.

Family welfare services are being provided in 13,866 medical centres across the State in Primary Health Centres, all hospitals, medical colleges and accredited private hospitals, while family planning surgeries are performed on 2.55 lakh women every year.

Minister Subramanian, an avid marathoner, also participated in a 21 km virtual marathon in London and encouraged the public to choose a healthy lifestyle. It was the 129th marathon that he participated in and he covered it in 2.8 hours, said a statement.