LUANDA, Feb 28, 2001 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) issued here on Wednesday the 2001 report of the "World Situation of Infants", ranking Angola's infant death rate at the second place of the list.
According to the report, a total of 176,000 under-five-year-old children died in the war-torn country in 2000.
The report, which includes tables on basic indicators of children's nutrition, health, education and progress in more than 100 countries, is aimed at attracting attention of the international public opinion for the survival and development of the children all around the globe.
Meanwhile, the Angolan Vice Health Minister Jose Van-Dunem said that the conflict situation in Angola is the main cause of the high infant death rate, which has created a large number of displaced persons gathering in several urban centers in dire need of water, inhabitation, jobs, schools and health facilities.
The war is also responsible for the disabled sanitary network, which has impeded the people from having access to health care, the vice minister added.
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Received by NewsEdge Insight: 02/28/2001 12:23:45