HAVANA, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Cuba's 2006 infant morality dropped to 5.3 per 1,000 live births, the lowest in the nation's history and only after Canada in the America, the Public Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

    Cuba is among the world's top 30 nations in terms of survival rates for children under 12 months old, local media quoted the ministry as saying.

    Accoring to the ministry, five of the country's 14 provinces had outstanding survival rates, with the infant morality in Holguin being 3.8 per 1,000 live births, Camaguey 4.3, Granma and Matanzas 4.4, and the capital, Havana 4.9.

    Cuba has a free and universal health system, with babies in their first year of life inoculated against 13 major diseases. The government is also bringing in three new tests.