The first hour early initiation and exclusive breast-feeding for six months can reduce the annual infant mortality rate up to 22 percent in the province, health services Director General Dr Muhammad Aslam told reporters here on Friday.
He said exclusive breast-feeding could save more than one million babies each year globally, adding that the infant mortality rate in the Punjab could also be reduced up to 41,800. "In the country the 16th annual world breast feeding week from August 1 to 10 is being celebrated. The Punjab government has appointed gynaecologists in the 33 districts of the province and we have focused on infants and mothers and we are providing free delivery services to pregnant women in rural health centres," he said.
He said the programmes launched for the maternal and neonatal healthcare will ensure progress towards achieving the millennium development goals in maternal and infant health with the specific objectives reducing the under-five mortality rate to less than 65 per thousand live births by 2011 target 2015:45/1000 reducing the new-born mortality rate to less than 40 per thousand live births target 40/1000, man 55 per thousand live births by the year 2011 target 40/1000, to reduce maternal mortality ratio to 200 per ten thousand live births by the year 2011 target 140/10000 and to increase the proportion of deliveries attended by the skilled birth attendants at home or in health facilities to 90 percent by 2015.