Mother-child mortality rate drops

KABUL facilities for them across the country, the Ministry of Public Health said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the ministry cited a 2013 report of the Save Children that showed one in 10 children died before reaching the age of five years in Afghanistan, compared one in four children a decade ago.

It said one mother died in every two hours, recalling that one mother would die in every 27 minutes while giving birth 10 years ago.

The statement further said one-thirds delivery cases were being handled by professional nurses and midwives, with 60 percent mothers being referred at least once during pregnancy to healthcare centres.

“Increase in healthcare facilities, in the number of trained midwives, improved health services for pregnant women and infants, the management of delivery cases by experts have been reasons behind the drop,” the public health ministry said.

Currently there are 3500 midwives in Afghanistan, compared to 450 midwives 10 years ago, the statement concluded.

myn/ma

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