KATHMANDU, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Infant and child mortality rate has been decreased in Nepal over the last 10 years, Nepali national news agency RSS reported on Thursday.

    According to the Central Child Welfare Board, infant mortality has dropped to 48 in every 1,000 children and the child mortality rate to 61 per 1,000 children in the last 10 years.

    It is found the child and infant mortality rates decline when the family is educated and if the mother's age is over 20 years.

    The Board said vaccination campaigns such as the BCG, DPT, polio, measles, TT as per the long-term child health policy have on an average achieved five percent more progress than the target.

    At present, four out of five children have received all the vaccination services that have been referred. This is an increase of approximately 25 percent in the last five years.

    However, the child and infant mortality rate is on the increasing trend in the rural areas, the report said.

    It is also found that a large number of children have been killed, rendered disabled, orphaned and become helpless during the decade long armed conflict in Nepal. Women and children were the most vulnerable group to suffer in the conflict.