Dynamics of the Infant Mortality Rate in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Abstract

The infant mortality included in the structure of the mortality of children population is considered to be one of the major demographic factors most clearly reflecting the country’s level of the development and on-going economic and social changes. The infant mortality rate is a key index of the development of the health system. The significance of the infant mortality rate is determined by its high contribution to the child mortality rate in general. So the share of deaths among children aged 0-14 years in infants of the first year of life amounts of 55% to 65%. 40% of newborns died in the early neonatal period and 30% babies - in the post-neonatal period. In accordance with the Concept of the demographic policy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025 approved by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated 09.10.07 No. 315, one of the most important tasks of the demographic policy in the country is the reduction of the infant mortality rate at least by two times. The correct and timely analysis of the infant mortality rate allows developing a set of specific measures to reduce the morbidity and mortality rate of children, to assess the effectiveness of measures to describe and to plan the work for the protection of motherhood and childhood in general. In the article there is presented the analysis of the underlying causes and dynamics of the infant mortality in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) over the period of the implementation of major projects in the field of health. The development and implementation of a three-level system of medical care for pregnant women and mothers in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) was the key to the reducing this index.