Nielmar de Oliveira
Reporter Agência Brasil

Rio - In 2000, Brazil was in 100th place on the UN list of countries ranked by infant mortality rates. At that time Brazil's infant mortality rate was 30.1 deaths during the first year of life per 1,000 births.

According to the latest survey by the government statistical bureau (IBGE) (Tábua da Vida 2004), Brazil's infant mortality rate is now 26.6 deaths per 1.000 births, and the country has risen to 99th place on the UN list.

For the sake of comparison, Iceland is in first place with an infant mortality rates of 3.2 deaths per 1,000 births.

Translation: Allen Bennett