Infant mortality rates have always been one of the biggest worries in the Bradford district, with the rates of child death historically being well above the national average.

The problem led to the setting up of several studies in Bradford, including the Born In Bradford project, which aims to monitor vast numbers of children from birth upwards in the district, and the Every Baby Matters action plan.

Although Bradford is still experiencing infant mortality rates higher than the regional and national averages, the direct action seems to be working as the numbers have now fallen for the sixth successive year.

This means, in simple terms, that more babies are surviving beyond their first birthday in Bradford than ever before, and that is something surely to be celebrated.

Of course, there is a long way to go, as anyone involved in the various projects and studies will readily accept. And while great strides are being made in tackling infant mortality, some of the reasons behind the statistics cannot be made to disappear with the wave of a magic wand.

Poverty is one of the biggest reasons that the infant mortality rate is as it is, along with education issues, nutrition and housing problems, and that is something that will not be solved overnight.

But by identifying these issues we are at least tackling the problem head on. The symptoms are being slowly chipped away at, and if we do that often, long and hard enough, then we may yet be able to take on the root causes, and stamp out this problem once and for all.