Health and Nutrition
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© UNICEF/Romania003/Bivol |
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Baby friendly hospital - Maternity in Suceava |
Romania has continued to make progress in the reduction of under-five mortality rate (15 per 1,000 live births in 2007) and maternal mortality rate (15 per 100,000 live births), although the rates are still higher than in other European countries.
There are also more such deaths in rural areas and among the Roma population. The most common causes of death among infants continue to be peri-natal, respiratory infections and congenital malformations. The most common cause of death among children aged 1-4 is accidents, with a high 40% occurring at home, pointing to limited access to quality health services and poor parenting skills. While the levels of immunization (97% against DPT3 and measles) remain high, and access to improved drinking water sources increased overall to some 88% in 2006, the percentage of access to improved drinking water sources in rural areas continues to be significantly lower than in urban areas. In parallel, a 2006 UNICEF supported national Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey (KAP) on parenting practices found that 17% of parents do not know the purpose of vaccinations, almost 50% do not have knowledge about correct hygiene practices for children, and many provide unsafe water to their young children.
The remaining malnutrition and anaemia levels among children, as identified in the UNICEF supported 2005 National Integrated Nutrition Survey, indicate poor feeding practices but also point to low levels of breastfeeding. Only 16% of Romanian children were exclusively breastfed during the first 6 months of life in 2006, while only 12% of newborns were put to the breast within one hour of birth according to the UNICEF supported 2004 Reproductive Health Survey. In contrast, the iodine level in school children has improved towards international standards, as the number of households using iodized salt increased significantly over the past few years, to reach 96% in 2004. Sustained elimination of iodine deficiency disorders is expected to be achieved by the end of 2009.
