Bhopal, Sep 22 (UNI) Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has claimed that mother and child mortality rates are on the decline in Madhya Pradesh with concerted efforts in this regard in the last two years.

''The government was committed to reducing mother and child mortality rates. New schemes had been launched to promote institutional delivery and to provide nutrition to women and children'', Mr Chouhan said here yesterday while discussing population control measures with Dr Ashish Bose, Chairman of the Task Force of the National Commission on Population.

The Commission was constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for ensuring adequate measures for population control.

Mr Chouhan told Dr Bose that the state government had taken measures for filling up vacancies of doctors, nurses and other staff in government hospital and to prove better health care for expectant mothers and infants.

Dr Bose stressed the need for opening more private institutions to meet the shortage of medical personnel and taking women centric health and family planning measures which will lead to fall in population growth.

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