Birthrate up, mortality rate down in Chernobyl-affected regions

The birthrate is up and the mortality rate down in the Chernobyl-affected regions, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Alexander Kosinets said when speaking in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus. According to him, in 2006-2007 the birthrate coefficient in the affected region of the Gomel oblast was 10.8 per 1,000 and death rate 14.3, in Brest oblast 11.7 and 13.2 respectively, in Mogilev oblast 10.4 and 14.8. The coefficient of natural decline has reduced from minus 5.5 to minus 3 over the two years, the Vice-Premier said. An increase in the birth rate and decline in the mortality rate have been showing In majority of the radionuclide-contaminated regions, he said. Alexander Kosinets also informed that as of January 1, 2008 the population of Belarus was 9 million 689 thousand.