Rio, 12/19/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - There has been a significant drop in the death rate of infants below the age of one year over the last 12 years in Brazil. According to the latest report from the government statistical bureau (IBGE) (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística) the infant mortality rate fell from 11.3% in 1990 to 5.2% in 2002 - a drop of 6.1 percentage points, or 54%.

The biggest drop in infant mortality was in the Northeast (down 62%) and South (down 54.5%).

Although the biggest drop was in the Northeast, the IBGE points out that the numbers do not reflect the reality in that region because many infants that die there are not registered. (AB)