Department of Social Medicine, Organization and Economics of Health Care, and Medical Statistics;

scientific supervisor – DMSc, Assoc. Prof. Hanna Saturska,

I. Ya. Horbachevsky Ternopil State Medical University, Ternopil, Ukraine

Background of study: Infant mortality is the death of children less than one year of age. It is measured as infant mortality rate (IMR). The death rate of children under one year age is one of the most sensible indicators  of socio-economic development level of society, which accumulates  the level of education and culture, environment state, efficiency of prophylactic measures, level of availability and quality of medical care, distributing of material and social welfares in society.

Aim of study: To be able to outline the various causes of infant mortality in Ukraine. Practical preventive measures of infant mortality.

Method of study: We collected Data based on Birth and Death Certificates registered in Ukraine and by Using Indices of Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).

Results: Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year. Mortality rate of infants (per 1;000 live births) in Ukraine was 8.1 ‰ in 2014, according to the World Bank, but it was 8.7 ‰ in 2011. Levels of death rate of infants for WHO: low level – to 20 ‰; average level - 20 - 50 ‰; high level – 50 ‰ and more. Therefore the level of IMR in Ukraine is low, according to the evaluation of WHO. From the study, we found out that some of the various causes of infant mortality are birth asphyxia, pneumonia, term birth complications, neonatal infection, diarrhea, malaria, measles and malnutrition.

Conclusion: The level of IMR in Ukraine is low, according to the evaluation of WHO. Though there has been a slight drop in the infant mortality rate in 2014, Ukraine still needs to improve the situation. As such more work needs to be done in the area of public health education, prompt and adequate medical treatment, cultural changes, economical policies.