Muscat – New data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) indicates that maternal mortality rate in Oman has increased while infant mortality rate has gone down in 2020 as compared to 2016.

Maternal mortality rate in Oman increased from 13.4 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016 to 29.4 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, according to NCSI statistics.

Maternal mortality rate is the number of women who die during pregnancy and childbirth per 100,000 live births. Data also revealed that infant mortality rate in the sultanate fell from 9.3 deaths per thousand live births in 2016 to 7.6 deaths in 2020.

Additionally, the average visit of individuals to health institutions decreased from 3.5 in 2016 to 2.3 in 2021. While the number of hospital beds increased from 4,539 in 2016 to 5,293 in 2021, the number of healthcare institutions in 2020 was 1,587, of which 64 per cent were private clinics. The number of dialysis centres also grew with 24 centres providing services to 2,264 patients.

‘Statistics indicate an increase in the number of dialysis sessions in the sultanate from 204,289 in 2016 to 309,845 sessions in 2020,’ NCSI stated.

Government spending on the health sector in 2020 was 7.4 per cent of the total expenditure, while the sector’s contribution to GDP was RO954.1mn (3.9 per cent).

The percentage of nationals employed in government and private health institutions in 2020 increased seven per cent over 2016.

Marginal rise in HIV/AIDS cases

Oman has witnessed a marginal increase in HIV/AIDS cases over a five-year period.

According to figures released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information, cases increased from 135 in 2016 to 147 in 2020.

Of these, 110 cases were in the 25-49 years age group, 20 cases in 50 years and older category, 16 in the 15-24 years age group, and one case in the 5-14 years age group.