Makhachkala, March 4, 2015. In 2014, the birth rate in Dagestan increased by 1.6% as compared with the previous year reaching more than 53,100 which is 19.1 per 1,000 people, a source in the republican ministry of healthcare told RIA Dagestan.

"Dagestan ministry of healthcare does a great work to reduce the number of women dying in pregnancy, labour and after childbirth, including training specialists in simulation training centers of federal clinics. Accordingly, we observe a tendency of a reducing maternal mortality rate from 14.2 to 13.9 per 100,000 births," the source noted.

The main indicators of organization and efficiency of the ministry’s work are perinatal, infant and child mortality. Despite the decrease in perinatal mortality up to 10.7% (deaths in utero after 22 weeks of pregnancy, in labour, and during the first 7 days of life), the rate still remains above the national average (9.6% in Russia in 2013).

Last year, there was a 3.9% decrease in infant mortality (deaths of children under 1) as compared with 2013. Improved diagnostics decreased by 2% the number of babies dying from congenital malformations.

In 2014, the overall mortality rate in Dagestan was 5.56, which is 2.4 times lower than the national average (13.1 in Russia). The natural population growth also increased from 13.3 to 13.5 (+0.2 in Russia, too).