India's socio-economically backward, or Empowered Action Group (EAG), states(Bihar, Jharkhand, MP, Chhatisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan, UP and Uttaranchal) see huge progress in health

Several of India's socio-economically backward, or Empowered Action Group (EAG), states namely Jkarjkhand, Rajasthan, Odisha and Chhattisgarh have made great strides over the last decade with regard to some of the key health indicators.

For instance, all EAG states (Bihar, Jharkhand, MP, Chhatisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan, UP and Uttaranchal), and Assam have witnessed an increase of over 40 percentage points in institutional births

A rise in the number of institutional deliveries is crucial as it helps reduce maternal and infant mortality, besides ensuring better health for women and children in the long run. This is also evident in the 20 percentage point drop in the infant mortality rate in Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Odisha.

Among the five states with the highest infant mortality (death within one year of birth per 1,000 live births) and under-five mortality (risk of death by age five, per 1,000 live births) rates, four are EAG — Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Though Bihar features among the top five states vis-a-vis sex ratio, it fared the worst in female literacy rate and financial inclusion of women.