China's maternal, infant mortality rates continue to drop

BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- In 2023, China registered a maternal mortality rate of 15.1 per 100,000, which is 10.7 percent lower than the figure from 2020, China's National Health Commission said Tuesday.

The commission also noted that in 2023, the infant mortality rate and mortality rate of children under 5 stood at 4.5 per 1,000 and 6.2 per 1,000, down 16.7 percent and 17.3 percent from 2020.

According to Shen Haiping, an official with the commission, China now has 3,491 emergency medical centers for pregnant and lying-in women in critical or serious condition. Furthermore, the country has established 3,321 emergency centers to provide timely medical attention to newborn babies.

The commission will continue to facilitate the enhancement of medical institutions' capacity to treat acute, critical and major illnesses, said Shen, adding that it will also help improve hospital services to cater to the needs of pregnant and lying-in women.