Infant mortality rate reducing in Ukraine

Since the beginning of start of medical reform in Ukraine, infant mortality rate has decreased by 13.2%, head of the protection of motherhood and childhood department of the Health Ministry of Ukraine Olena Tereshchenko told a press conference, ForUm correspondent reports. "At the end of 2013, infant mortality was 7.9 per 1 thousand live births compared to 8.6 in 2012 and 9.1 in 2011. That is, the death rate decreased by 13.2%," she said. Tereshchenko stressed that at the beginning of the implementation of health reform in Ukraine the figure of maternal deaths was 14.7 per 100 thousand live births. "Now, the figure is 11.6 per 100 thousand live births against 13.1 for 2012 and 14.7 for 2011. That is, we can talk about reducing maternal loss by 21 %," she said. Furthermore, Tereshchenko noted that for 9 months in 2013, the number of surviving infants born weighing 500 to 1000 grams increased, compared to 2008. However, the physician added that the level of public funding for maternal and child health tripled and reached almost 1 billion UAH. "In terms of expenditure of the state budget on the health system, Ukraine gets closer to the EU and is the leader in the CIS," she concluded.