For the past 22 years, Lalliantluangi, an ASHA worker from North Lungpher village in Saitual district, has been going door to door across the village’s 220 households, caring for pregnant women and newborns. “We advise expectant mothers to take their prescribed pills regularly and call them when it’s time for their monthly check-up,” she told EastMojo. While Mizoram often ranks high in concerning statistics such as cancer and HIV/AIDS rates, there is one positive indicator the state has consistently led since 2022: the lowest infant mortality rate in the country. As per data published by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mizoram topped the chart in 2022 for having the lowest infant mortality rate.
The latest Sample Registration System (SRS) Bulletin, released by the Office of the Registrar General of India in May 2025, once again placed Mizoram, alongside Manipur and Sikkim, at the top for having the lowest infant mortality rate in the country.
The success has been attributed to strong coordination across health and welfare departments, with Health Minister Lalrinpuii expressing pride in the achievement, saying, “This is a moment of honor for Mizoram and the entire Northeast. Our low IMR reflects years of consistent effort in improving maternal and child health services, especially in remote and rural areas.”
Achieving this low rate requires coordinated efforts from the grassroots level to the highest levels of administration, and that is exactly what Lalliantluangi and her fellow ASHA workers have been diligently working toward.
“As soon as a baby is born in our village, I visit the family and weigh the baby at least twice a month. I teach the mother how to breastfeed properly and continue monitoring the baby’s weight until they reach a healthy weight of 5 kilograms, which should happen by the time they are around 40 days old. I also remind the family about upcoming vaccination dates,” she said.
Lalliantluangi also advises families to avoid having too many children and to maintain a gap between births.
Before ASHA workers can carry out their house visits, a more crucial role is played by healthcare workers at the primary level, who ensure that a safe delivery process is in place and that mothers receive the necessary care during childbirth.
T. Lalrempuii, a health worker from Khawmawi village in Lunglei district, told EastMojo that they do their best with the limited equipment available at their Health and Wellness Center.
“We don’t have a baby warmer, but we try our best to maintain safety and cleanliness during deliveries by sterilising all our equipment,” she said.
However, they continue to face infrastructure challenges. “Our delivery room is quite small, and so is the staff quarter. We also don’t have a cleaner, so after each delivery, we have to handle the cleaning and all other related tasks ourselves,” she added. Lalrempuii and a doctor are posted in the village, which has around 250 households.
Their responsibilities extend beyond childbirth. “We conduct postnatal care visits and newborn care visits to ensure both the mother and baby are healthy and doing well,” she said.
A high-ranking health official with over ten years of experience in the sector, who recently retired, spoke to EastMojo on condition of anonymity.
He attributed Mizoram’s low infant mortality rate to the collective diligence of health workers at all levels. “The main reason we can achieve this low infant mortality rate is because all employees work diligently as a whole from the grassroots level. From the sub-centers and Health and Wellness Centers to hospitals, all workers are very sincere. While our facilities may not be as updated as in some other states, it is the sincerity and dedication of our workers that drives this success,” he said.
Under the Reproductive and Child Health program, considerable effort is focused on improving facilities and providing skill training. All nurses and Health and Wellness officers undergo training beforehand.
The program ensures that expecting mothers maintain their health through regular checkups. These efforts have led to an increase in institutional deliveries and a decline in home deliveries, thanks to higher awareness levels.
He emphasised that this achievement is not solely the work of the health department but results from strong cooperation between health, social welfare, and other related departments.
“We have seen the lowest infant mortality rate in the last three reports, which is basically due to our unity, from ASHA workers to Health and Wellness officers and Primary Health Centre staff. The misconceptions people used to have are fading due to increased awareness. All Health and Wellness Centers are equipped with delivery appliances and labour rooms, and staff are trained to promote institutional deliveries,” he added.
While the workers are diligent, there are still unavoidable challenges faced by a state that is sparsely connected to the rest of India, and within Mizoram itself, many rural areas where regular road and electricity connectivity remain a distant dream. In such places, the work of NGOs has played a crucial role.
Mitali Chakma, a healthcare worker in Ajasora, a remote village in the Chawngte subdivision of Lawngtlai district, shared their struggles with EastMojo.
Ajasora, with just 680 residents, a literacy rate of 32%, and 125 households, is a village shaped by both hardship and resilience. Despite its small size, it serves as a lifeline for 11 surrounding communities, providing healthcare to over 7,000 people through its modest health center.
“Sometimes we have no electricity for two weeks, and during the rainy season, the power can be cut off for an entire month,” Mitali said. Until December 2023, the Ajasora Health Center operated in near darkness.
Health worker Krishna Devy Chakma described the challenges they faced: high humidity and soaring temperatures made childbirth agonizing as mothers suffered without fans. Erratic power supply forced staff to rely on kerosene lamps or flashlights during emergencies.
For three to four months each year, roads would disappear under floods, cutting off access to Chawngte, 33 km away, and the district hospital in Lunglei, 131 km away. During these times, villagers often had to travel by boat, while health workers prepared for emergencies with no backup power.
However, since December 2024, the situation has improved with the introduction of solar power through the efforts of the Selco Foundation. Founded in 2010, Selco is an NGO dedicated to creating holistic solutions using sustainable energy to address poverty alleviation while ensuring environmental sustainability.
On 31st March 2023, the Health and Family Welfare Department of Mizoram and SELCO Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the health sector through decentralised renewable energy. The partnership aims to increase health center usage and services, reduce healthcare costs for poorer communities, and improve reliable, climate-resilient access to essential health services in remote areas. As per this partnership, SELCO Foundation will solarize all 443 primary health facilities in the state.
“We shared our problems with higher officials and received much-needed help in the form of solar lighting through Selco. Now, even when we don’t have electricity for weeks, we are powered by solar energy. This is a great help as we have around 10 to 11 babies delivered every month,” said Mitali Chakma.
The fans and lights during delivery have been lifesavers. Mothers no longer panic in the dark, said the mother of Arbina Chakma, who was born at the center.
Lalnuntluanga Colney, State Lead for SELCO, traveled to Ajasora to experience the situation firsthand and shared his observations with EastMojo. “Ajasora’s story isn’t just about energy, it’s about dignity. For families surviving on farming and weaving, with an average income of ₹5,000 per month, this health center is more than a building. It’s a shield against preventable deaths, financial ruin, and isolation. As I crossed eight bridgeless streams to reach Ajasora, I realized how infrastructure gaps deepen inequality. Yet, sustainable energy bridges that gap,” he said.
Also Read: Mizoram residents were cut off by landslides, but united by compassion
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