Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral questions asked by Mr. Henry on January 22, 1997, on NWT infant mortality rates. Information on infant mortality is collected through vital statistics. The rates are compiled and analyzed on a yearly basis in the Northwest Territories before being provided at the national level. Infant mortality refers to all deaths under the age of one year. The denominator used to calculate the rate is a number of live births that occur in the year of reference. As registration of deaths have tended to be more accurate than birth registrations in the past, the under- reporting of births could account in part for the higher infant mortality rates.
Infant mortality has climbed sharply everywhere in Canada over the past three decades. NWT rates were three times that of the rest of Canada in 1971. By 1988, this gap had been narrowed to one and a half times. Since then, however, little progress has occurred in the NWT, while the rates continue to go down in the south. At 15.4 infant deaths per 1000 live births, the NWT infant mortality rate was two and a half times that of Canada as a whole at 6.3 per 1000 in 1994. The Childhood Fatalities Review Committee is mandated to review and report on all deaths of children age 16 and under. The review of 1996 deaths have already been initiated and a report from the committee is expected in April. Infant mortality is strongly linked to social economic status and poverty. High rates of infant deaths from infectious causes and from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome contribute to our poor statistics. The most important single contributor to high infant mortality in the Northwest Territories continues to be exposure to tobacco smoke during fetal growth and after birth. Other contributing factors include poor nutritional status of many mothers and overcrowding. Improving social economical conditions and ensuring a healthy living environment by providing better health education, developing parenting skills and early intervention programs are the means to improve infant mortality statistics. The Department of Health and Social Services has important roles to play in these areas. We have embarked on a reform of the health and social services system that aims to shift emphasis to prevention and early intervention. However, many necessary initiatives will have to originate from communities and individuals themselves if we want to improve outcomes in this area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.