Infant mortality rate highest in Delhi last year: govt data

Despite having the best healthcare facilities, infant mortality rate was the highest last year in Delhi compared to previous five years, government data shows.
According to Delhi Statistical Handbook released by Delhi government here today, infant mortality rate in the national capital was 23.94 per 1,000 live births, between 2008 and 2012.
In a decade, the highest infant mortality rate was registered in the year 2007, when it touched 25.44 per 1,000 live births.
The city, between 2005 and 2012, recorded the highest live births last year--over 3.60 lakh. The number of live births continued to increase during this period.

In 2005, the city recorded live birth of 324,336, while in 2006 it was 322,750, in 2007 3,22,044, in 2008 3,33,908, in 2009 it was 3,54,482, in 2010 3,59, 463 and in 2011 it was 3,53,759.
The birth rate of the city was 20.97 per cent last year, which was among the lowest at 20.97 per 1,000 live village .

The survey also found that the number of deaths in the city dropped last year as compared to the previous year. Last year, 1,04,616 deaths were registered in the national capital while the previous year it was 1,12,142.
Of the 1,04,616 deaths, 64,608 were men while 40,008 were women, and the cause of deaths were cholera (498), fever (910) dysentry and diarrhoea (222), respiratory diseases (7,513) while injuries (2,979) while rest due to other causes.

The death rate per 1,000 saw a drop last year in the city as compared to 20.97.