By IANS
Havana : Cuba’s infant mortality rate of 5.3 for every 1,000 live births was the lowest in Latin America in 2007 and lower than that of the US, the Spanish EFE news agency reported Saturday.
“For the second straight year, Cuba achieved an infant mortality of 5.3 for every 1,000 live births, the lowest in the history of Cuba,” the news agency quoted Granma, the official newspaper as saying Friday.
Together with Canada, Cuba “has achieved the lowest infant mortality rate compared to other countries in the Americas”, the report said.
Educational development achieved through literacy campaigns, establishment of a free healthcare system, immunisation, family planning programmes and special care to pregnant women has made it possible, the report said.
According to Unicef, Cuba and Canada have the lowest infant mortality rates in the Americas, followed by the US with six out of every 1,000 live births and Chile with eight. Haiti has the worst record in the Americas, with 84 out of every 1,000 babies dying.
The world’s infant mortality rate stands at 52 deaths for every 1,000 live births. The average for Latin America is 26 and for Africa 108, according to Unicef statistics.