Dominican Republic infant mortality rate falls sharply, UN

Santo Domingo.- The United Nations Children Emergency Fund (Unicef) on Wednesday revealed that around 5.0 million newborn die every year worldwide, and 98% of that in developing countries.

Unicef representative Maria Jesus Conde Zabal of that 98%, from 30 to 40% of the deaths occur in the neonatal stage and within a few days of birth, from infections acquired during childbirth and the postnatal period.

Conde said Dominican Republic’s infant mortality rate has fallen considerably, and urged the authorities to continue working on the problem. She said infections and asphyxia lead to infantile deaths in the country.

The Unicef official spoke during a ceremony to donate equipment and materials to the Public Health Ministry, to treat newborn and neonatal patients, aimed at lowering maternal-infantile death in 14 hospitals along in the border, where an average of 20,000 children are born yearly.