The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department on Friday, 25 September 2026, unveiled a comprehensive roadmap aimed at reducing the state's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to below 70 per one lakh live births and achieving the long-term goal of zero preventable maternal deaths. The plan, discussed at a state-level workshop in Bengaluru, marks one of the most structured public health commitments the state has made on maternal care in recent years.

Current MMR and the immediate target

According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) estimate for 2022–24, Karnataka's MMR currently stands at 73 per one lakh live births. The state has set an immediate target of bringing this figure below 70, while simultaneously working towards eliminating all preventable maternal deaths over the longer term. The roadmap, framed under the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) Roadmap 2030 programme, was discussed under the theme 'From Roadmap to Results: Accelerating Karnataka's Journey Towards Zero Preventable Maternal Deaths.'

Health Minister U.T. Khader, who inaugurated the workshop and delivered the presidential address, stressed the need to strengthen quality, timely, and respectful maternal healthcare services across the state.

Key pillars of the roadmap

The roadmap identifies seven key strategies: pre-conception care, quality antenatal care and high-risk pregnancy tracking, quality delivery care, preparedness for postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and obstetric emergencies, a strengthened Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) system, a Zero Maternal Death Gram Panchayat campaign, and digital monitoring and accountability.

The plan seeks to shift emphasis from healthcare coverage to care quality, from risk identification to timely intervention, and from state-level metrics to district-level accountability. Districts will be the primary unit of implementation, with priority districts identifying three to five targeted actions based on their specific local maternal health challenges.

Life-cycle approach and high-risk management

Karnataka will adopt a life-cycle approach to maternal healthcare, beginning with pre-conception care and continuing through pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Greater emphasis will be placed on identifying and managing anaemia, nutritional deficiencies, non-communicable diseases, and other risk factors before pregnancy takes hold.

For high-risk pregnancies, the department plans to reinforce the entire care chain — from identification and risk stratification to referral, treatment, follow-up, and safe delivery. Health institutions will be equipped with essential medicines, trained personnel, blood availability, and emergency transportation systems to handle obstetric emergencies including PPH, hypertensive crises, and sepsis.

Community-level mobilisation

A distinct feature of the roadmap is the launch of the 'Zero Maternal Death Gram Panchayat' campaign, designed to draw local governance bodies into the prevention effort. Gram Panchayats will be encouraged to identify pregnant and high-risk women, link them to antenatal care, strengthen birth preparedness plans, and ensure postpartum follow-up. This community-facing layer represents a departure from hospital-centric maternal health planning.

The workshop brought together representatives from priority districts, including Regional Chief Health Officers, District Health Officers, medical superintendents, obstetricians and gynaecologists, alongside state officials, technical experts, and development partners. The department said the state would provide policy direction and technical standards, while districts, institutions, and communities would lead on-ground execution.

What comes next

'Every mother deserves safe and respectful care. Every preventable maternal death must be prevented,' the department said, reiterating its commitment to the MMR target and the zero-death vision. District action plans with defined responsibilities, timelines, and outcome metrics are expected to follow. How effectively accountability is enforced at the district level will ultimately determine whether this roadmap translates into measurable reductions in maternal mortality.