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Cuba Among the Countries with the Lowest Infant Mortality Rate

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tasa mortalidad infantilCuba is among the first 19 countries in the world with the lowest infant mortality rate with 4.0 for every one thousand live births in 2017. This is the 10th consecutive year that the infant mortality has been under five, reported during the opening of the 28th Cuban Pediatrician Congress.
The Head of the Infant Maternal and Adolescent Department of the Health Ministry, Dr. Roberto Alvarez Fumero highlighted that this has been possible thanks to the effort, sacrifice, dedication and commitment of the thousands of health professionals that work in the field.
 
In front of over 400 Cuban, Latin American and European representatives present at the Convention Center in Havana, the health professional offered a conference on the achievements and challenges of infant health in Cuba where compared to 1970 the infant mortality rate was reduced five times.
 
Alvarez Fumero added that the national vaccination program has 11 vaccines against 13 preventable diseases, there is an increase in the attention of retinopathy prematurity, growth in looking for any possible disabilities and 22 chronic infant diseases are treated.
 
The specialist pointed out that these achievements have been possible despite the limitations imposed by the US economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba for over 55 years.

The specialist pointed out that Minsap’s challenges are the consolidation of prevention actions in the maternal-infant transmission of HIV to maintain the international validity; in addition to reducing prevalence in anemia, obesity and fertility in teenagers.
 
Dr. Carmen Rosa Martinez Fernandez, Director of Medical Assistance at the Health Ministry, recognized the work of pediatricians and other health professionals that have made the results obtained in the country possible.
 
She explained that the neonatal mortality was reduced in 2017 (less than 28 days of birth) from 2.4 to 2.1 per one thousand live births also the causes of deaths by perinatal affections from 1.5 to 1.3.
 
The infant mortality rate for congenital malformations remained at 0.8 per one thousand live births and recalled that the previous year for every one death, 231.6 under one year of age survived and 180.8 children up to five years of age. / Radio Rebelde