What was the infant mortality rate during the colonial rule? Why was it so high?

Question

Accepted Answer

The infant mortality rate in India during the British rule was very high, i.e., about 218 per thousand.

This was mainly because of the poor state of public health. The public health facilities were either unavailable to the majority of the population or, when available, were highly inadequate. As a result, water and air-borne diseases were widespread and took a huge toll on the lives of infants.