Sri Lanka ranks 43rd in mothers’ index 2011
May 9, 2011 10:44 am
Sri Lanka is ranked 43rd among 79 “less developed” countries, above India, Pakistan, in a study on the ‘best place to be a mother’ released to mark Mother’s Day, a non-governmental organization reported.
India does not fare too well, positioned slightly higher at 75th. China, which is clubbed with India for “growth stories”, is ranked much higher at 18th spot. Pakistan is at 77th place, while Bangladesh is ranked 18 in the list of 40 “least developed countries.”
‘The 2011 Mothers’ Index’ by international child rights NGO ‘Save the Children’ divided countries into more developed, less developed and least developed ones and drew up separate lists on the basis of well-being of mothers and children including their health, education and economic status.
The report analysed a total of 164 countries, among which Afghanistan had turned out to be the world’s toughest place to be a mother being ranked at the bottom.
In the Mothers’ Index for more developed countries, Norway is at the top followed by Australia and Iceland.
As per the survey, 99 per cent of births in Sri Lanka are attended by skilled health personnel while female life expectancy is 78 years. In comparison in India only 53 per cent of births in India are attended by skilled health personnel while female life expectancy is 66 years.
In Sri Lanka under-five mortality rate was 15 per 1000 live births and percentage of children under five who are moderately or severely underweight stands at 27.
Fewer than 15 percent of births are attended by skilled health personnel in Chad and Afghanistan. In Ethiopia, only 6 percent of births are attended. Compare that to 99 percent in Sri Lanka and 95 percent in Botswana.
