Infant mortality rate dropped by half in Armenia in the past 10 years

PanARMENIAN.Net - The infant mortality rate has cut in half in Armenia, reaching 8.8 promille in the past 10 years.

According to a demographic, healthcare report of 2015-2016, stunting in children under five has twice reduced to 9%, while the rate of breastfeeding for up to 6 months of age has grown by 10%.

Several projects approved by the government seek to improve neonatal healthcare, strengthen the primary health care system, increasing the professional expertise of doctors, as well as raise public awareness on child nutrition issues.

A recent report by the United Nations revealed that the number of deaths among children under five has decreased from 50 for every 1,000 births in 1990 to 13 in 2016 in Armenia.

The neonatal mortality rate - probability of dying between birth and 28 days of age, expressed per 1,000 live births - stands at 7 as of 2016, the UN said.