Baby deaths in Panama continue to climb

The number of children  who have died in Panama before reaching their first  birthday has jumped 10.2%.

Preliminary figures issued by the Comptroller General's Office show that in 2011, 923 children under one year died.  In 2009 there were 837 deaths of children in their first year and and 910 in 2010.

Of infant deaths reported last year, 496 cases (53.7%) were children living in urban areas, while 427 children (46.3%) died in rural areas.

During 2011, the province of Panama recorded the cases of infant mortality. There were 397 cases, followed  by Chiriqui, with 124 deaths, and the Ngäbe Bugle region with 99 deaths.

The report of the Comptroller, ,indicates the rate of infant mortality (the number of infant deaths per thousand live births) was 13.4% in 2010, up from 12.2% in 2009.

La Prensareports trying to contact spokespersons of the Ministry of Health (MoH) to explain policies undertaken to reduce the rate. Responses to a questionnaire, were not returned.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Social Development, Niurka Palacio, said authorities are aware that they have "a challenge in this area. The Government is making every effort to work against that statistic. "

Panama is part of the 192 nations wjich met at the United Nations in 2000  and adopted the Millennium Declaration. Among the eight goals to be achieved by 2015 was a reduction in infant mortality.