Childbirth death rates decline

Mother and child mortality down sharply as China achieves UN goal ahead of schedule

Maternal and infant death rates have dropped significantly in China, along with the death rate of children under age 5, a senior health official said on Thursday.

Wang Guoqiang, vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said at a news conference that the maternal death rate in China in 2013 was 23.2 per 100,000, down 56.2 percent from 2000.