DUSHANBE, July 14, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Birth rate in Tajikistan has fallen half a s much compared to the 1990s, Sherali Rahmatulloyev, head of the department for organization of medical services to mothers and children and family planning within the Ministry of Health (MoH), said in an interview wit Asia-Plus.

“In the 1990s, the average Tajik family consisted of mother, father and on average 6-7 children, while in 2010, there were 3-4 children in the average Tajik family,” Rahmatulloyev said.  According to him, it means that Tajiks have learnt to plan family.

Rahmatulloyev noted that in January-June 2011, the birth rate decreased by 4,000 compared to the same period last year.  “100,893 babies were born in January-June 2010, while 96,982 babies were born in the country over the first six months of this year,” he said.

According to the statistical data from the Ministry of Health, the maternal mortality rate for January-June 2011 was 45.4 per 1000,000 live births.  In 2010, the maternal mortality rate was 49.6 per 100,000 live births.