MOSCOW, December 19. / TASS /. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that child mortality rate in Russia has declined, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his traditional annual news conference on Thursday.

"By the way, we have made significant progress in reducing the child mortality rate," President Putin said.

According to the President, Russian citizens should receive medical care for free, including children "In vast majority of the cases, this is true with children," the President noted that reducing the child mortality is one of the solutions to Russia's demographic problems.

The President recalled that in the history of the country there were 2 powerful demographic recessions - in 1943-1944 and 1999. "The few generations born in these years, 1999 are entering adulthood and the childbearing age, but by definition there are simply less of them," the president commented on the current problems of demography in the country.