Thursday, January 05, 2012

PCBS: Mortality and Fertility Rates Decline in 2011

RAMALLAH, September 12, 2011 (WAFA) – Infant mortality rate in the Palestinian Territory in 2010 declined by almost 20% in the last decade, Monday said the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).

Infant mortality rate was calculated at 20.6 per 1000 live births in the Palestinian Territory - 18.8 in West Bank and 23.0 in Gaza Strip. Infant mortality rate in 2000 was 25.5 per 1000 live births and has declined by 19.2% since that date, said the PCBS.

The mortality rate among those under five years of age is 25.1 per 1000 live births in the Palestinian Territory - 22.1 in West Bank and 29.2 in Gaza Strip. The rate in the Palestinian Territory has declined by 13% from 28.7% in 2000. Fertility rate has also declined by 28.8% during the past 10 years, where it was 5.9 births per woman in the year 2000 it dropped to 4.2 births per woman in 2010 - 3.8 births per woman in West Bank and 4.9 births per woman in Gaza Strip.

In 2010, 8.4% of married women aged 15-49 in the Palestinian Territory reported infertility; 8.4% in West Bank and 8.3% in Gaza Strip. Of those 4.8% were reported as having primary infertility; 4.5% in the West Bank and 5.2% in Gaza Strip.

The rate of secondary infertility among married women is 3.6% in the Palestinian Territory: 3.9% in the West Bank compared to 3.1% in Gaza Strip.

It showed that 18.2% of persons aged 18 years and above in the Palestinian Territory in 2010 suffer from at least one chronic disease compared to 11.5% in 2000; thus marking an increase by 58.2% since then. A total of 16.3% of males aged 18 years and above suffer from at least one chronic disease compared to 20.2% of females.

On the other hand, 2.8% of youth aged 15-29 years in the Palestinian Territory suffer from at least one chronic disease; 3.3% for males and 2.3% for males. While 70.6% of the elderly aged 60 years and over in the Palestinian Territory suffer from at least one chronic disease.

The report said that 75.1% of elderly females suffer from at least from one chronic disease compared to 64.7% for males. The percentage of elderly with at least one chronic disease has increased by 51.8% since the year 2000 when it was reported at 46.5%.

It showed that 22.5% of persons aged 18 years and above in the Palestinian Territory in 2010 are reported as smokers, 26.9% in West Bank while 14.4% in Gaza Strip.

The percentage of smokers among persons 18 years and above was 27.5% in 2000 and declined by 21.0% during the last 10 years. A total of 15.8% of youth aged 15-29 years in the Palestinian Territory used to smoke; 30.3% for males and 0.8% for females.

On the other hand about 15% of elderly in the Palestinian Territory practice smoking with 30.1% for males and 2.7% for females. Smoking among the elderly has declined by 19.7% since the year 2000 when it was 18.2%.

In 2010, 26.7% of pregnant women aged 15-49 in the Palestinian Territory were anemic: 15.4% in West Bank and 39.1% in Gaza Strip, compared with 31.1% overall in 2002. The highest percentage was reported at 55.9% in Khan Younis governorate in the Gaza Strip.

Moreover, in 2010, 21.6% of non-pregnant women aged 15-49 in the Palestinian Territory suffered from anemia compared to 34.8% in 2002: 29.3% in Gaza Strip and 16.8% in West Bank. The highest percentage was reported at 36.9% in Gaza governorate.

Moreover, In 2010, 52.5% of married women aged 15-49 in the Palestinian Territory were using a form of family planning; 55.1% in West Bank and 48.1% in Gaza Strip. Bethlehem governorate reported the highest use of family planning at 65.2%, while Rafah governorate reported the lowest at 43.1%. The use of forms of family planning increased by 2.1% during the past 10 years in the Palestinian Territory compared to 51.4% in 2000.

The report said, 19.3% of married women aged 15-49 in the Palestinian Territory reported unmet needs for family planning (10.2% for spacing and 9.1% for limiting) in 2010: 18.7% in West Bank and 20.4% in Gaza Strip. This percentage increased by 55.6% over the past 10 years compared to 12.4% in 2006.

Only 0.7% of home birth deliveries in 2010 were reported in the Palestinian Territory: 1.1% in West Bank and 0.2% in Gaza Strip. The highest reports of unsafe births were reported in Jenin governorate in the West Bank at 4.5%. The percentage of reported unsafe births was 5.2% in 2000 and has fallen by 86.5% since then.

In 2010, 84.8% of birth deliveries were reported as normal: 82.3% in West Bank and 88.4% in Gaza Strip, while 15.2% of deliveries were reported as cesarean section deliveries: 17.7% in the West Bank and 11.6% in Gaza Strip.

The highest percentage of cesarean birth deliveries was reported in Tubas governorate in the West Bank with 37.0% while the lowest was in Hebron governorate, also in the West Bank, with 7.9%. The number of cesarean birth deliveries in the Palestinian Territory has increased by about 72% during the last 10 years from 8.8% in 2000.

A percentage of 19.4% of children aged 6-59 months in the Palestinian Territory were anemic in 2010: 13.4% in West Bank and 25.6% in Gaza Strip. The highest reported percentage was in Deir Al-Balah governorate in Gaza with 41.4%. In 2002, the rate was 38.0%: 35.5% in West Bank and 41.6% in Gaza Strip.

In 2010, 26.6% of children aged 0-5 months in the Palestinian Territory were exclusively breastfed: 27.3% in West Bank and 25.6% in Gaza Strip. The percentage has increased by about 59.2% since 2000 when it was reported at 16.7%.

In 2010, 10.6% of children under the age of five in the Palestinian Territory suffered from stunting: 11.3% in the West Bank and 9.9% in Gaza Strip. The highest percentage was 16.9% in Hebron governorate. Stunting has increased by 41.3% since 2000 when it was reported at 7.5%.

The results of the family survey 2010 were implemented in coordination and cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and with financial and technical support from UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

M.H./M.S.

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