Maluku gets aid for survey

Maluku gets aid for survey

JAKARTA (JP): Maluku has completed a survey on infant mortality in the province.

Conducted in 30 villages throughout Maluku, the survey estimated an infant mortality rate of 53 deaths under 1 year of age for every 1,000 live births.

It found that 50 percent of deaths occurred in the first month of life.

"The major causes of these infant deaths were acute respiratory infection, prematurity, birth defects, diarrhea and neonatal tetanus," said the Australian Agency for International Development, which funded the study.

The survey was conducted in January by the Maluku provincial health office in cooperation with Project Concern International. (pan)