Guwahati, May 26: Assam has achieved a historic milestone in public health, with the state’s Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) dropping to 84 per lakh live births below the national average of 88 for the first time in its history. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the achievement as one of the most moving moments of his public life, recalling that when he first took charge of the Health Department in 2006, Assam’s MMR stood at 480.

The decline, Sarma noted, is the result of years of sustained effort by doctors, nurses, ASHA workers, health officials, and frontline staff who worked “silently, tirelessly and with compassion” across towns, villages, and remote communities. “This achievement belongs to them. Behind this number are countless mothers who returned safely home to their families,” he said.

Health experts attribute the turnaround to improved antenatal care, increased institutional deliveries, better emergency obstetric services, and greater community awareness. The state’s challenging geography and underserved populations made the achievement particularly significant, with ASHA workers playing a crucial role in connecting expectant mothers to institutional care.

Sarma, visibly moved, expressed gratitude to the healthcare workforce and the people of Assam. “What once seemed impossible has become reality through collective effort and the blessings of the people of Assam,” he wrote on social media.