THATTA, Nov 13: The logistic and health awareness support being extended by the United Nations Fund for Population Assistance (UNFPA) has so far helped 88.8 per cent rural population of the Thatta district in bringing down infant and maternal mortality rate and provided general healthcare at 89 facilities in the district.

This was stated by Abdul Rehman Pirzado, the district programme officer of the UNFPA, while talking to journalists at the district health office in Makli on Friday.

Dr Pirzado said that under the 7th programme, eleven labour rooms were set up at the Makli civil hospital, Sujawal taluka hospital, Mirpur Bathoro, Mirpur Sakro, Daro and Gharo.

He said contraceptive prevalence rate was 20 per cent, crude birth rate was 2.9 per cent, population less than fifteen years was 43.85 per cent and women between the ages of 15 to 48 years were 22.2 per cent in the district.

He said that the IMR (infant mortality rate) was 59 on 1,000 live births and MMR (maternal mortality rate) was 59 on 100,000 live births.