Recognising the need for a health information base, the Centre would launch an annual health survey in some states to provide feedback on the impact of schemes under NRHM on health indicators like Maternal Mortality Rates and Total Fertility Rates.

The survey would be conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the Registrar General of India, Ministry of Home Affairs.

The annual health survey would be launched in Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Assam.

The field work for the survey would be undertaken by private agencies and supervised by officers of the Registrar General of India, where several posts have been created to monitor the work of the field agencies, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni told reporters after a meeting of the Union Cabinet cleared the proposal. - (Agencies)