Efforts made by the Government in the field of health can be summarised as follows: (i) The life expectancy of birth in India has more than doubled in the last fifty years. It has reached nearly 62 years. (ii) In the plan-period, the mortality rate has declined to nearly 9 per thousand and infant mortality has come down to 70 per thousand live births. Similarly, maternal mortality rate has also declined. (iii) Efforts have been made to overcome the nutritional problems in the country and considerable progress has been achieved. (iv) Smallpox has been completely eradicated and malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, filariasis, etc. have also been controlled to a large extent.