There has been a remarkable reduction in child and maternal mortality rate in Nepal in the last 10 year period, according to a report made public by the government.

The report named Health and Population Survey – 2006, released by Minister for Health and Population Giriraj Mani Pokhrel amidst a ceremony Thursday, states that there has been significant improvement in child and maternal health in Nepal.

According to the survey report, the maternal mortality rate in Nepal was 281 in every 1,00,000 births in the year 2006, a reduction from maternal mortality rate of 539 in the year 1996. During the past ten years there has been a decrease in the child mortality rate with 48 new born dying in every 1,000 births, according to the 2006 statistics. The mortality rate in children below 5 years of age, however, remained 61 in every 1,000 births. The report says that in the year 2001 this mortality rate was 1 in every 11 births.

Likewise, the survey states that 44 percent women currently use modern family planning contraceptives in the country, a good 9 percent increase from what it was in the year 2001. There has been a remarkable increase in children taking vaccines against child diseases also, the report says

Similarly, the survey also states that 44 percent pregnant woman now take the help of skilled health workers during their delivery.

The survey was conducted on more than 10,000 women between the ages of 15 to 49 and more than 4,000 men of the same age category.