Abstract

RIVERON CORTEGUERA, Raúl  and  AZCUY HENRIQUEZ, Pedro. Mortalidad infantil en Cuba 1959-1999. Rev Cubana Pediatr [online]. 2001, vol.73, n.3, pp. 143-157. ISSN 1561-3119.

According to the available statistical data, from 1959 to 1999, infant mortality rate in Cuba decreased 81.3 %; early neonatal mortality, 73.4 %; late neonatal mortality, 83.6 %; and postneonatal mortality, 86.0 %. The reductions obtained during this period were uniformly distributed among all the provinces, although the most significant decrease took place in the central and western provinces. Enteritis and other diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections, perinatal affections in general and meningitis showed the greatest reductions, even though all the causes of death were reduced in this period. Natality decreased 51.3 %; fecundity, 30 %; and the gross demographic growth of the population, 59.8 %. The institutional delivery increased 65.9 %, low birth weight descended 36.9 %, perinatal mortality decreased 67.2 %, live births decreased 21.1 % and infant survival at 5 rose 3.8 %. This has been possible due mainly to the political decision made by our State of giving priority to the health sector and, specially, to maternal and child health at the beginning of the 1960s, which allowed to attain advances in the organizaton and quality of health care and a wide health services coverage. The improvement of the living standard, of education and of the health and epidemiological situation achieved by the population, as well as the equitative distribution of food, prioritizing mothers and children, were also important elements. A fundamental factor in the last decade has been the development of the family physician plan at the primary health care level and the improvement of hospital care. The establishment of the National Maternal and Infant Care Program, including immunization, the control of diarreal diseases and acute respiratory infections, breast feeding, and the control of sepsis and of infectious neurological syndromes, together with the advanced technology and the development of the neonatal and pediatric intensive and intermediate care units have played an important role, too. We can’t forget the hard work of our doctors, nurses and technicians, who have done their best to reduce with their modest effort the infant mortality rate in Cuba.

Keywords : INFANT MORTALITY; EARLY AND LATE NEONATAL AND POSTNEONATAL MORTALITY; MORTALITY REGISTRIES; CUBA.

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