This article is not mine, I translate if from http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u427459.shtml

The infant mortality rate of Sao Paulo in 2007 reached 13.1 deaths per thousand children of up to a year born alive, one of the lowest rates in the history of the state, according to the Department of Health in 1977, the state recorded one of the highest, with 78 recorded deaths per thousand births. Compared to the index of 2007, the fall was 82% in the last 30 years.

The data released Tuesday show that a decrease of 46.7% compared to 1995, when the rate was 24.6 deaths per thousand babies born.

“There were more than one hundred thousand lives saved over this period,” said Governor Jose Serra (PSDB), referring to the period 1995 to 2007.

The assessment was made by the Seade Foundation (State System for Analysis of data) with data from the state secretariat. According to the foundation, the rate of 2007 was a decrease of 11.5% in comparison with 2003, when the index recorded was 14.8.

In Sao Paulo, the index last year was 12.9. Last year was 13.3, in 2005 was 13.4; in 2004 registered 14.4, and in 2003, 14.8, the according to the Healthy Secretary.

The rate of infant mortality in Brazil in 2006, last recorded by the IBGE (IBGE), was 24.9 deaths per thousand live births.

“Of the 645 municipalities Sao Paulo, 261 index had less than ten, which can be compared to developed countries,” said the Secretary for Health, Luiz Roberto Barradas.

He cited as example the cities of Rio Claro, with 6.7 deaths, Barretos, with 7.2 and Santana de Parnaíba, also with 7.2.

Serra attributed the fall in the index to four points: shares of sanitation, vaccination, expansion of care in childbirth and post-partum and monitoring of prenatal care.

The State Department of Health also reported the worst rates of the state. According to Barradas, the highest rate was recorded in the region of Baixada Santista, with index of 18.7, followed by the regions of Aracatuba, with 16.1 and 15.9 with Sorocaba. The municipality of Praia Grande had the worst index, with record of 22.3 per thousand births.

“It must invest more in sanitation in these regions. With that the index will drop,” said the governor.