Infant mortality rate rises amid economic crisis<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has expressed concern over the rising infant
\nmortality rate, which has increased from 47 babies per 1,000
\nbirths in 1997 to 51 babies in 2001 amid the lingering economic
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
\"We predict the infant mortality rate will be about 50 per
\n1,000 births in 2004,\" S. Soemantri of the Research and
\nDevelopment Unit at the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday at a
\nround table discussion held by the National Family Planning Board
\n(BKKBN).<\/p>\n
The government also said that the post-natal maternal
\nmortality rate had increased from 325 mothers per 100,000 births
\nin 1995 to 396 mothers in 2001. Some experts even said the
\nmaternal mortality rate could be as high as 594 per 100,000
\nbirths.<\/p>\n
\"The economic crisis has increased the number of people
\nwithout access to health services. Thus the mortality rate for
\nbabies and mothers has been increasing. We're the second worst in
\nSoutheast Asia after Myanmar.\" Siswanto A. Wilopo, BKKBN deputy
\nchairman for family planning and reproductive health, told
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
According to Siswanto, with an infant mortality rate of over
\n47 babies per 1,000 births, this meant that over 140,000 babies
\naged less than one week died per year, or 2,690 per week.<\/p>\n
For mothers, Siswanto said, given the present maternal
\nmortality rate, over 300 mothers died every week after giving
\nbirth, almost the same as the total passenger complement of a
\nfull Airbus plane.<\/p>\n
Soemantri went on to say that the government must give more
\nattention to providing health services for babies and mothers in
\nlight of the findings.<\/p>\n
\"The increase in the infant and maternal mortality rate over
\nthe past few years is not something we expected,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Soemantri, with such a high infant mortality
\nrate, Indonesia would only be able to reduce the figure to less
\nthan 20 per 1,000 births after 2025.<\/p>\n
Sri Hariati Hatmadji, a researcher at the University of
\nIndonesia, agreed with Soemantri, saying that 18 provinces in the
\ncountry still had infant mortality rates of over 50 per 1,000
\nbirths.<\/p>\n
According to Sri, the main killers of babies was premature
\nbirth and being underweight at birth, followed by respiratory
\ninfections and diarrhea.<\/p>\n
For mothers, bleeding after birth and anemia were two of the
\nmain causes of deaths, she said.<\/p>\n
Siswanto further said that the high mortality rates for babies
\nand mothers, and their tendency to increase, should encourage the
\ngovernment to pay more attention to family planning.<\/p>\n
\"We must ensure that our family planning program continues as
\nit can control pregnancies thus reducing the possibilities of
\ndeath.<\/p>\n
\"We are going to increase our coverage from about 25 million
\ncouples -- or about 57 percent of total couples -- to 70
\npercent,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/infant-mortality-rate-rises-amid-economic-crisis-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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