Topic: Reducing Infant Mortality
Country: Trinidad and Tobago
Delegate Name: Ana Kim
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Trinidad and Tobago position papers GLIMUN 2015 committees
Infant mortality has been a persisting problem worldwide and continues to exist as a profound problem in Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago has one of the world’s worst infant mortality rates as it has delineated a range of 10.5 deaths per 1,000 live births and an increase within a decade, skyrocketing from 10.5 deaths to 21.2 deaths per 1,000 live births in the year of 2000. Among these deaths, prematurity has been held accountable for majority of the deaths. Alongside prematurity, respiratory and infectious or parasitic diseases have been the leading factors of patients in hospitals. Through the coverage of the Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI), which provided vaccination, no deaths resulting from infection and parasitic diseases have been reported. But despite such efforts, Trinidad and Tobago has been unable to revert the increasing morality rates.
In Trinidad and Tobago, exclusive breastfeeding has been limited to 26-30% for infants younger than four months of age. Because exclusive breastfeeding is highly valuable in the development of an infant’s health, it is imperative that people are informed and educated of the importance of breastfeeding. An increase in the number of organizations like the Informative Breastfeeding Service (TBIS), should be made to extend the availability of such access regarding information and services to a wider community, reaching out to more people.
Also, the presence of health care facilities is crucial in providing assistance with births, but emphasis should be put on sending health workers to assist with births at home for those who are unable to make the trip to a facility. Sending health workers would permit those living in rural areas to receive the same assistance those would living an urban area would have.
