Maternal, child health in N. Korea critical due to lack of infrastructure, dire nutrition
- 5 years ago
The mortality rate of mothers and children in North Korea is remains high, mainly because of a lack of necessary facilities and poor nutrition.
There have been improvements over the past years, but a South Korean institute says consistent humanitarian support is needed to see practical developments.
Oh Jung-hee has more.
Maternal and child health in North Korea is in a critical state,... mainly due to a lack of infrastructure and the dire nutrition conditions within the regime.
According to a report released by South Korea's Institute for Health and Social Affairs,... North Korea's maternal mortality rate stood at 82 out of 100-thousand women in 2017 -- up from 77 in 2008.
It was due to a lack of medical facilities and transportation, which led to over-bleeding and infections after giving birth.
Making matters worse,... most of these women were undernourished,... having spent their childhood and teenage years in the mid-1990s when North Korea experienced a severe famine.
North Korea's infant mortality rate in 2017 was 24 out of every 1,000 babies born.
That's an improvement compared to previous years, thanks to expanded vaccination.
But the report says the figure's still high... because of widespread parasite infections... and diarrhea and respiratory infections due to bad water sanitation.
Vaccines are also sometimes ineffective because of poor storage facilities.
The report points out, though there has been continuous support from international organizations and civic groups in South Korea,... humanitarian support has been too influenced by political factors... and the report calls for consistency.
The need for humanitarian and medical support for people in the North has been continuously highlighted.
To cooperate in that field, South and North Korea held talks early this month to conduct various health projects.
While they first agreed to jointly tackle contagious diseases like tuberculosis and malaria,... it's expected... projects to establish necessary infrastructure to produce medical and nutritional products in the North will be discussed in the future.
Seoul's health ministry says the provision of health and medical support to North Korea on a humanitarian basis is likely to be allowed under international sanctions.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.
There have been improvements over the past years, but a South Korean institute says consistent humanitarian support is needed to see practical developments.
Oh Jung-hee has more.
Maternal and child health in North Korea is in a critical state,... mainly due to a lack of infrastructure and the dire nutrition conditions within the regime.
According to a report released by South Korea's Institute for Health and Social Affairs,... North Korea's maternal mortality rate stood at 82 out of 100-thousand women in 2017 -- up from 77 in 2008.
It was due to a lack of medical facilities and transportation, which led to over-bleeding and infections after giving birth.
Making matters worse,... most of these women were undernourished,... having spent their childhood and teenage years in the mid-1990s when North Korea experienced a severe famine.
North Korea's infant mortality rate in 2017 was 24 out of every 1,000 babies born.
That's an improvement compared to previous years, thanks to expanded vaccination.
But the report says the figure's still high... because of widespread parasite infections... and diarrhea and respiratory infections due to bad water sanitation.
Vaccines are also sometimes ineffective because of poor storage facilities.
The report points out, though there has been continuous support from international organizations and civic groups in South Korea,... humanitarian support has been too influenced by political factors... and the report calls for consistency.
The need for humanitarian and medical support for people in the North has been continuously highlighted.
To cooperate in that field, South and North Korea held talks early this month to conduct various health projects.
While they first agreed to jointly tackle contagious diseases like tuberculosis and malaria,... it's expected... projects to establish necessary infrastructure to produce medical and nutritional products in the North will be discussed in the future.
Seoul's health ministry says the provision of health and medical support to North Korea on a humanitarian basis is likely to be allowed under international sanctions.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.