PIP: Malaysia recently reiterated its commitment to protect the right of couples to choose the number and spacing of their children and to have the information and means to do so. This policy is in accord with Malaysia's belief that the individual is at the center of all socioeconomic and environmental programs. Thus, Malaysia acknowledges the importance of promoting better understanding of the relationship between population and sustainable development. This focus will enable Malaysia to emphasize areas such as maternal mortality, family planning, and breast feeding and to establish special programs for marginalized, disadvantaged, and vulnerable groups of people. Malaysia also acknowledges the importance of establishing a pool of trained researchers in population and development issues.
PIP:
Experiencing remarkable decreases in mortality rates over the past 3 decades, Malaysia currently has one of the lowest mortality rates among developing countries, a rate that compares favorably with those of developed countries. Between 1957 and 1989, the crude death rate dropped from 12.4/1000 population to 4.6. Over the same period, Malaysia recorded even greater decreases in the infant mortality rate, from 75.5/1000 births to 15.2. The Maternal mortality rate also declined from 1.48 in 1970 to 0.24 in 1988. The data indicates that mortality rates vary from state to state, and that rural areas have a higher mortality than urban areas. According to a study by the National Population and Family Development Board, the use of maternal and child health services has played an important role in reducing neonatal, perinatal, infant, child, and maternal mortality rates. Nearly all women in Malaysia receive antenatal services. While the country has achieved great gains on mortality rates, programs focusing on specific age and socioeconomic groups could lead to even greater reductions. The Minister for National Unity and Social Development, Dato Napsiah Omar, has called for the development of programs designed to improve the population's quality of life.