RISE IN SABAH PERINATAL MORTALITY RATE

Kota Kinabalu: State Health Director Dr Marzukhi Md Isa said perinatal care in Sabah should be given top priority considering the increase in the Perinatal Mortality Rate (PNM) the past four years.

Quoting figures from the National Perinatal Death Report, Dr Marzukhi said Sabah's Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) in 2006 was 5.7 per 1,000 live births compared to the national NMR of 3.7 per 1,000 live births.

Nevertheless, 46 per cent or 126 of the NMR deaths in 2006 were born to non-citizens. He said that looking after the welfare of mothers and their infants is a high priority for any country.

Among the most important contributors to perinatal and neonatal survival are socio-economic status, access to proper water and sanitation as well as access to good antenatal and perinatal health care.

"In Sabah, particularly, the challenges we face everyday to provide the best possible care to our clients and patients are tremendous," he said.

Sabah has a high number of live births at about 58,000 per year after Selangor with 89,000 births that include non-registered births.