DUSHANBE, July 23, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Compared to January-June 2007, birth rate over the first six months of this years has increased, the first Deputy Health Minister, Salomat Jobirova, told a press conference in Dushanbe on July 22.  

According to her, 74,317 newborns were reported in Tajikistan in January-June 2007, while over the first half-year of 2008, 81,193 newborns have been reported in the country.

In the meantime, Shamsiddin Qurbonov, head of the family planning department within the Ministry of Health (MoH) noted that compared to the 1990s the birth rate over past several years has deceased considerably.  “In the 1990s, the birth rate stood at 46-47 per thousand people, while over the first six months of this year, it has been 26-27 per thousand people,” Qurbonov said.  

            On the maternity and infant morality rates, the MoH official said that compared to last year the rates have decreased.