Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) informed on Saturday that despite the health Covid-19 crisis, the country registered in 2020 an infant mortality rate of 4.9 per every 1,000 live births.
According to the Directorate of Medical Records and Statistics of that entity, the figure represents 36 fewer deaths than the previous year.
In Cuba, 105,030 children were born, 4,686 less than in 2019, and no under-one year deaths were reported in 32 municipalities of the country.
Cuba also recorded in 2020 the lowest mortality rate due to congenital malformations in its history with 0.7 per 1,000 live births, and a reduction from 6.6 to 6.2 per 1,000 live births in the mortality rate of under-five year children compared to 2019.
The rate of deaths in preschool age lowered from 3.5 to 2.8 per 10,000 inhabitants between one and four years old, with 37 fewer deaths, and school mortality decreased from 2.0 to 1.6 per 10,000 inhabitants between five and 14 years old, with 50 fewer deaths.
Thanks to the health protocols established for the care of pregnant women, postpartum women and pediatric patients in a differentiated manner, Cuba closed the year without reporting any maternal or infant deaths from Covid-19.
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On Twiiter, the Cuban foreign minister assured that treating children is top priority on the government agenda.
‘Our country provides guarantees and social policies based on children’s best interests, equal opportunities and their participation as active subjects of law,’ he posted.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recognized some of Cuba’s achievements and its strong political will to guarantee children’s proper development and well-being.
‘Despite the complex transformations Cuba is currently facing, there has been an explicit commitment from the Government and institutions to maintain the achievements made in the protection of children and teenagers,’ UNICEF said.
Plus, UNICEF recognized the net enrollment rate in primary education by 99.1 percent, the gross enrollment rate in secondary education by 96.4 percent, and the high rates of gender equality at all education levels.
