Meghalaya’s MMR declined by more than 50 %, says CM Conrad Sangma

Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Saturday said that the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in Meghalaya has declined by more than 50 per cent in the last seven years.
Speaking at the Silver Jubilee Celebration of Women for Integrated and Sustainable Empowerment (WISE) at St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Sangma recalled that institutional deliveries were once below 50 per cent but have since risen to about 70 per cent.
WISE, a social action wing of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions (RNDM), North East Province, primarily devoted to the welfare and empowerment of people, especially women, school dropout girls, domestic workers, SHG members and women in difficult circumstances.
“When I first became Chief Minister, one of the most disturbing numbers that came before me was Meghalaya’s maternal mortality rate. It shook me to the core — that while a mother was bringing life into this world, she was losing her own,” he said. Describing the fight against maternal mortality, as a mission “close to his heart”, Sangma said that his government launched the Safe Motherhood Programme, also known as the Mother Programme, under which every single pregnant mother are being monitoring throughout the state.
“Nearly 400 Safe Motherhood Homes were established across Meghalaya to house high-risk mothers and their attendants, who receive Rs. 500 per day as an incentive,” he informed.
“Today, I’m happy to share that our maternal mortality rate has dropped by more than 50 per cent in the last seven years,” he said, adding that the state’s goal is far more ambitious:
“For me, the target is not the national average — I want to reach a point where not a single mother in Meghalaya loses her life while bringing life into this world,” the Chief Minister further added.
Touching on the socio-economic roots of the MMR, he said, “Economic and social empowerment of women is absolutely necessary if we truly want to improve maternal health and family well-being.”
He then elaborated on the government’s flagship MOTHER Programme — Meghalaya Outcome Transformation in Health, Education, Rural Development, and Social Welfare — which breaks departmental silos to improve women’s and children’s welfare.
“In 2018, we had about 5,000 SHGs in Meghalaya. Today, we have close to 55,000, with a revolving fund that has grown from Rs. 40 crore to Rs. 1,100 crore. That’s the kind of grassroots transformation that happens when women lead,” the Chief Minister said.
He highlighted the reservation of 50 per cent of all Village Employment Council positions for women and shared that over 3,000 VECs are now headed by women.
Through programs like CM-ELEVATE and PRIME, “60 per cent of beneficiaries are women,” he said, with the government investing over Rs. 150 crore in funding, training, and equipment.
He also cited examples of women-led economic growth, including the increase in Lakadong turmeric production from 1,000 metric tons in 2017–18 to nearly 20,000 metric tons today, and the introduction of Japanese technology for shiitake mushroom cultivation.
Speaking on early childhood and youth development, he said, “We cannot wait for a child to turn 14 or 15 before we start worrying about their future. We must invest in them from the day they are born.”
He cited the Early Childhood Development (ECD) program funded by ADB and the EMPOWER programme for adolescents as examples of holistic interventions in music, sports, self-defense, and emotional well-being.
The Chief Minister assured continued collaboration with WISE and encouraged the organization to identify specific livelihood sectors and submit a proposal for partnership.
“What inspires me most is your determination — the fact that you kept going even when there was no one to help or support you. That strength is what Meghalaya needs,” the Chief Minister said.
He also called for continued collaboration to “make the next 25 years even more impactful — empowering more women, saving more mothers, and uplifting more communities.”
Expressing his admiration for WISE, Shillong Lok Sabha member, Dr. Ricky Andrew J. Syngkon recalled how WISE’s model of integrated and sustainable development through “care, advocacy, capacity, and education” had inspired him.
“WISE has become a beacon of hope, bringing life and dignity into the lives of many who are facing tremendous challenges in the world today,” Syngkon said.
Highlighting WISE’s commitment to supporting single mothers, victims of domestic violence, school dropouts, and women in distress, the Shillong Lok Sabha MP also praised the Sisters’ outreach work in prisons and rural communities.
“Every woman carries within her the strength of generations, and when a woman stands tall, she carries not just herself but the good of society,” Syngkon said.