During a visit to a microalgae and sea salt production company in Olhão, Faro district, Rui Rocha addressed reports concerning a 20% increase in infant mortality rate in Portugal in 2024.
Rui Rocha expressed concern over the figures without politicizing the issue, emphasizing the need to understand the causes of this “absolutely undesirable” situation.
“While I don’t make a direct link, it’s critical to investigate if the condition of the National Health Service (SNS), frequent emergency room closures, the lack of family doctors for many women, and the inability to perform necessary procedures like ultrasounds during pregnancy are impacting maternal and child health,” he stated.
Rui Rocha reiterated the importance of investigating this matter but distanced himself from any demagoguery.
The Health Minister acknowledged that the 20% rise in infant mortality in 2024 coincided with the closure of several gynecology and obstetrics emergency services, which she admitted was “not a good response.”
“Having emergency services that are closed or intermittent is not a good response, and having increasingly vulnerable pediatric emergencies is also not a good response,” commented the Minister of Health.
According to the “Vital Statistics” from INE, there were 118,374 deaths in 2024, a 0.1% increase (79 deaths) compared to 2023. Among these, 252 deaths involved children under one year old, 42 more than in 2023, raising the infant mortality rate to 3.0 per thousand live births, up from 2.5 in 2023.
