EscucharSAN JOSE - Costa Rica's infant death rate is fifth in the American continent, surpassed only by those of Canada, the United States, Cuba, and Jamaica, according to the UNICEF annual report for 1995, which was disclosed in Paris this past Monday.
The report shows that the infant death rate (children who die before age five) decreased here by 45 percent between 1980 and 1995. The last figure is 16 for every 1000 children born alive.
Although national health authorities hailed the achievement, they explained that the UNICEF figure is not the correct one for Costa Rica. Officially, the Costa Rican Social Insurance Institution (CCSS in Spanish) and the Health Ministry assert that the rate for 1995 was 13.2 per each 1000 children born alive.
``No, the figure is much lower,'' the Viceminister of Health, Dr. Fernando Marín, asserted when analyzing the data for Costa Rica. The medical manager of the CCSS, Dr. Julieta Rodríguez agreed with him, as did Dr. Elías Jiménez, director of the National Children's Hospital.
According to the UNICEF report, which scrutinizes 23 American nations, the last places belong to Haiti (134 per 1000), Bolivia (105), and Guatemala (60). Some of the most developed nations in the continent, such as Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, have high rates also, at 32, 53, and 27 respectively.
Costa Rican health authorities explained that infant deaths are mainly related to problems suffered by newborns, birth defects, and bad habits in adults, particularly smoking.
Viceminister Marín added that the nation is even hoping to further lower the rate substantially, so that by the year 2000 they will be around 10 to 11 deaths per 1000 children.
``We expect to achieve this through the strengthening of primary care, particularly in rural areas,'' he said.
Dr. Rodríguez said that in 1996 the rate was 12.9.
``Our expectations are to lower that figure further,'' he said. ``We still have to strengthen prevention programs in cantons such as Matina and Talamanca, in the province of Limón, and Los Chiles in the Northern Zone, where the rates are up to 20 per 1000. That is the challenge.''
The three specialists agree that the improvement in this area is the outcome of efforts launched by the health sector in the early 70s and which involved strengthening the primary care programs, the construction of water supply systems and widespread vaccination campaigns.
