“State support for families has played a significant role in the development of demographic processes in the Republic; Belarus is now ranked as the best place to be born within the CIS and 33rd worldwide (out of 160 countries),” notes Yelena Nevero, Chief Paediatrician for the Healthcare Ministry.
In recent years, natural population loss has been falling, due to people living longer lives. “Last year, the crude birth rate was 12.2 births per 1,000 people while the crude mortality rate was 13.3 deaths per 1,000. Births were up 21,000 in 2012,” she adds.
Ms. Nevero underlines that Belarus can be justifiably proud of its paediatric healthcare provision; the infant mortality rate in 2012 was 3.4 deaths per thousand — the best figure in the CIS. In Russia, the figure stands at 8.7 per thousand. Belarus’ child mortality rate (children under 5 years) was 4.4 deaths per 1,000 while the total child mortality rate amounted to 46.2 per 100,000 children — also extremely low.
“This is the result of stable financing of childbirth services, the constant improvement of qualifications for healthcare personnel and enhancing the affordability of all kinds of healthcare services, including high-tech,” Ms. Nevero emphasises.
