42 • The reduction of the maternal and neo-natal mortality rate, • The reduction of the infant and child mortality rate, • The reduction of the prevalence of transmissible and deficiency related diseases and of malnutrition, • Strengthening the performance of the health sector through the improvement of access to services and quality health care, • The President of the Republic, on his assumption of office in 2005, took the measure of granting free health and maternity care to children aged less than 5 years. For this reason the Government took on the objective of: • Reducing the infant mortality rate for every 1,000 livebirths from 114 to 90 in 2010 and 65 in 2015, • Reducing the maternal mortality rate from 800 deaths per 100,000 livebirths 560 in 2010 and 392 in 2015, • Improving the proportion of deliveries assisted by the health staff to bring it to 17% in 2002, to 35% in 2010 and to 60% in 2015, • Extending the immunization cover up to 85% in 2010 and to 90% in 2015, of reducing the percentage of children suffering from underweight from 30% to less than 10% in 2010, • Reducing the percentage of children with retarded growth from 52.5% to 35% and with underweight from 39.2% to less than 26% in 2010. The budget allocated to health in the 2008 Budget Exercise was 21,631,886,735 fbu and in the 2009 Budget the amount allocated to health was 46,192,249,747 fbu and the 2010 Budget Allocation for the Ministry of Public Health was 63,512,077,128 fbu. About 50% of the population have access to qualified staff for the treatment of regular illnesses and injuries and can procure 20 essential medicines at an hour’s walk or travel. Sequel to the presidential measure on the provision of free maternity care, up to 80% of pregnant women are able to see a qualified Doctor in the cities and up to 70% of them in the rural areas are able to do so. Also sequel to the presidential measure for the provision of free health care for children aged less than 5 years, up to 80% of infants can be seen by a qualified Doctor in the urban areas and 70% in the rural areas.