Lucknow, July 15 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh plans to reduce by half, the infant mortality rate over the next 10 years. Provisions have been made for ensuring health services for all, with special attention to pregnant women, infants, sick newborns and children who are severely malnourished. According to the government spokesman, the new policy has set a target of reducing the neonatal mortality rate of infants that takes place within 28 days of their birth from 32 to 22 by 2026 and to 12 by 2030. Along with this, a target has also been set to bring down the under-five mortality from 47 to 35 by the year 2026 and to 25 by the year 2030. According to the 2015-2016 report of National Family Health Survey-4, out of every thousand children born in the state, 52 newborns died in urban areas and 67 in rural areas, whereas, 62 children died in urban areas and 82 in rural areas per thousand children under the age of five years. In last four years, the state government made significant efforts in reducing the birth rate, maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate, however, it is still less than the national average. In 2016, the fertility rate in UP was 3.3, while the national average was 2.6. As a result of the sustained efforts of the Uttar Pradesh government, today the fertility rate in the state stands at 2.7, while the national average is 2.3. Maternal mortality rate is 197 today compared to 258 in 2016, whereas the national average is 113. Ved Prakash, General Manager, National Health Mission, UP, informed that the situation in the year 2018 has improved a lot as compared to back in 2008. In the year 2008, where 45 deaths per thousand newborns took place, it has come down to 32 in the year 2018, while in the below five years age group, it has come down by three times in the year 2018 as compared to 2008. He further said that continuous and determined efforts have been made to reduce the infant mortality rate and Special New-born Care Units and Nutrition Rehabilitation Center (NRC) Units have been established state-wide. Through the new population policy, the health services especially for women, children and adolescents will further be improved and expanded extensively across the state. /IANS