India is declared free of maternal and neonatal tetanus

India has reached its goal of eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus, in what experts have heralded as a “significant public health milestone.” The elimination of neonatal tetanus is defined as less than one case in 1000 live births in every district across the country, said the World Health Organization.

The disease usually occurs in newborns through infection of the unhealed umbilical stump, especially when the stump is cut with a non-sterile instrument. Maternal tetanus is considered eliminated once neonatal tetanus elimination has been achieved.

Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO …