Cuban province has record low 2.7 infant mortality rate
Campaign News | Wednesday, 9 June 2004
Sancti Spiritus more than four points better than US average
Havana, Jun 9 (Prensa Latina) The central Cuban province of Sancti Spiritus has reduced infant mortality to 2.7 for every 1,000 live births during the first five months of this year, the lowest in the country, official daily Granma reports.
This success is due to the efficient work of the primary care in the community, the family doctors and nurses and pre and postnatal care given to expectant women from early pregnancy.
Equally decisive has been the birthing centers in the region, the Genetic Medical Center and the Isabel Maria de Valdivia Maternal Provincial Hospital, especially the perinatal and neonatal staff, who save the lives of dozens of children in spite of material limitations, Sancti Spiritus Health Director Dr. Melquiades Alvarez told the newspaper.
Maqueira called particular attention to four cities of the province: Jatibonico, Cabaiguan, Yaguajay and Fomento, which have not registered any infant deaths this year, while the mountain city of Fomento has not lost a child under a year in five years.
Sancti Spiritus, which last year had a low 5.5/1,000 infant mortality rate (for reference, that of Cuba last year was 6.3 and the US had 6.9), has had 1,800 births so far and only 3.8 per thousand babies born weighing under 5.8 pounds.
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