Program on demographic safety of Belarus for 2006-2010 to prolong life expectancy :: Charter'97 :: News

The program on demographic safety of Belarus for 2006-2010 is aimed at reducing untimely mortality, prolonging life expectancy, stimulating birth rate and intensifying migration processes. The draft program was considered at a sitting of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers September 12 presided by prime minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorskiy.

As the minister of labour and social security Antonina Morova noted the program is based on the monitoring and analysis of the demographic situation in the country and regional programs on demographic security. Today positive demographic processes are taking shape in Belarus. Infant mortality rate is going down (the lowest in the CIS). The deaths of mothers at childbirth and children under five have reduced while life expectancy is getting higher. The number of divorces is shrinking.

At the same time there are still some negative tendencies, among them ageing of the population, Antonia Morova noted. Over 60-year-olds account for 14.5 per cent while in the world this index does not exceed 7 per cent.