Mortality rates drop as Qatar's healthcare services improve

Improved healthcare services in Qatar and overall progress in social, economic and other key areas of life have been a contributing factor in dropping mortality rates, a unit of Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) said Wednesday. As people all over celebrate the World Population Day today (July 11), QSA's International Cooperation Unit (ICU) Director Salwa Al Kuwari released figures confirming longevity of the Qatari population due to top grade healthcare services. Statistics indicates that the State of Qatar has seen a noticeable improvement in the health status of population, as mortality rate dropped during the past years, from 1.88 per 1000 population in 2001 to 1.15 in 2010, the ICU said. The percentage of births registered under supervision in Qatar exceeded 99.9% per annum, due to good healthcare services particularly in obstetrics, gynaecolgoy and perinatal across the State. Figures also show a decrease in infant, newborn, and children under-five mortality rates compared to the previous years. This decline is an important indicator for measuring Qatar's progress in all aspects of life: social, economic and environmental; health status; and medical services, the ICU added. These figures are significant as the world today celebrates the World Population Day which aims to focus attention on global population issues in the context of comprehensive development plans and programmes and to find solutions to population problems related to the issues of demographic growth, health, education and services, the media release said.