Arben Vitia, Minister of Health, in an interview (December 19) on Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), spoke about infant mortality in Kosovo.
Vitia has described as incorrect the reports that state that infant mortality in our country is 16 per thousand (16 infant deaths per 1000 births), estimating infant mortality at around 7 per thousand.
Hibrid.info has researched and verified, finding reports that contradict Minister Vitia's statement.
Hibrid.info has confirmed that the Kosovo 2023 progress report, published on November 8 of this year, states that 16 children out of 1000 births die before reaching the age of five, which makes this number three times higher than the European Union (EU) average (see here).
Minister Vitia, invited to an interview on RTK, which was also found and published on Youtube, responded to the interviewer's question regarding this issue, based on the progress report, by assessing the data on infant mortality as inaccurate.
Statement by the Minister of Health, Arben Vitia:
Absolutely a good part of the report is right. On the other hand, for example, in the infant mortality rate where it is defined as 16 per mille, it is not correct, because the way the sample was taken is not correct. But unfortunately, due to the lack of a health information system and due to the work and reforms that have not yet been done at the National Institute of Public Health (NIPHK) in the reporting method, we have not had the opportunity to counter this finding. However, with everyone I have spoken to, even based on the reports at NIPHK, the infant mortality rate in the Republic of Kosovo does not exceed 7 per mille and this has been known for several years now.
So, hibrid.info has further researched the statement and found that Minister Vitia has estimated that infant mortality in Kosovo is around 7 per thousand, even emphasizing it as a known fact for several years now.
Hibrid.info has also found online media reports regarding this statement (see here and here).
Journalist Bujar Vitija reacted to this statement by Minister Vitia, through a post on Facebook, which hibrid.info also found (see here).
Journalist Vitija emphasized that infant mortality is 10 per thousand according to the Action Plan for the Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health Program 2023-2025. While according to this document, the mortality rate of children under 5 years of age is 15 per thousand.
Despite research and searching, hibrid.info has not been able to find the document to which journalist Vitija referred.
The document found by hibrid.info regarding the issue in question is, “Strategic Plan for Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health 2020-21” (see here).
The data presented in this document regarding infant mortality for the years 2016-19 shows that in these four years, the numbers have never shown less than 10 per thousand infant deaths.
Hibrid.info has also verified and found the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) document (a program within UNICEF) for the years 2019-20, the infant mortality rate is 15 per thousand (see here).
Based on reports from international organizations and a document from the Ministry of Health, the statement by the Minister of this department that infant mortality in Kosovo has been 7 per thousand for several years is an unfounded statement.
Conclusion:
Minister of Health, Arben Vitija, has stated that infant mortality in Kosovo has been around 7 per thousand for several years now.
But after verification and research by hibrid.info, through several reports from international organizations, data was found that contradicts Minister Vitia's statement on this issue.
Based on the methodology of working on the category of truthfulness, hibrid.info assesses Minister Vitia's statement as an untrue statement.
Rating:
In the category of truthfulness, those statements that contain statements related to objective facts, the accuracy of which can be determined through objective verification, are evaluated. Statements treated in this category receive the assessment – false statement, half-truth, or even true statement.