There has been an overall declining trend in the infant mortality rate over the past ten years from 1997 to 2006.  During this ten-year period, the number of infant deaths declined from 104 in 1997 to 96 in 2006 resulting in an overall decline in the District’s infant mortality rate of 13.7 percent between 1997 and 2006. There were eight fewer infant deaths in 2006 compared to 1997 and there were 606 more live births in 2006 compared to 1997. 

Since the release of the District’s 2005 Infant Mortality Report and the city-wide Action Plan in December 2007, the Department of Health (DOH) has successfully implemented several of the proposed initiatives and services in an effort to provide a comprehensive approach to enhancing the health of the District’s mothers and newborns.  The progress report highlights the actions undertaken to date by the District government and our community partners to improve the city’s infant mortality rate since the release of the Action Plan to Reduce Infant Mortality.

• Infant Mortality Rates for 2006*