SEARCH led the formation of a Child Death Study Group in Maharashtra, and completed a two-year study of the true magnitude of child mortality at 14 sites in Maharashtra by training and guiding 12 NGOs. (EPW: Child Mortality in Maharashtra)

SEARCH focused the attention on child death as an issue of human rights violation by publishing this evidence (in Marathi) that a large proportion of child deaths in Maharashtra were never recorded, and hence the real magnitude was grossly underestimated.

The report led to the formation of "Child Death Evaluation Committee" by the Government of Maharashtra under the chairmanship of Dr. Abhay Bang. Two reports of the committee have been prepared and subsequently accepted by the state Government.