Under-5 mortality rate declines to 73 % in 2007 in Yemen: UNICEF

SANA'A, March 31 (Saba) - Children under five mortality rate in
Yemen has declined to 73 percent during 2007 compared with 127
percent in 1990 and 309 percent in 1970.

Yemen has been ranked, according to the report, 48th in the children
under five mortality rates global index 2007.

According to UNICEF' report, the infants under one year mortality
rate in Yemen decreased in 2007 to 55 percent comparing with 90
percent in 1990.

The report issued by the organization at the beginning of the
current year titled "World Children Statue in 2009", indicated that
the annual number of births in Yemen in 2007 amounted to 860,000
cases, while the annual number of children under five deaths in the
same year amounted to 63,000 cases.

According to the report, UNICEF conducted an assessment study in
collaboration with Ministry of Public Health and Population on the
level of medical services presented to the mothers and newborns in
five Yemeni provinces during the past years.

Maternal mortality rate, according to the study, reached 356 cases
per 100,000 live births and the children under five mortality rate
amounted to 111 cases per 1000 live births.

Furthermore, the infants' mortality rate amounted 75 cases per 1000
live births among them 37 death cases of newborns which are about 50
percent of the infants' death cases.

BA/AF