The progress made in reducing the rates of death among babies less than a year old in Venezuela has completely reversed as the country has descended into an economic and humanitarian crisis.

Once one of the richest countries in South America Venezuela is now in meltdown. Thousands of protesters have been thronging the capital’s streets in recent days in a bid to topple president Nicolas Maduro, whose economic policies are blamed for hyper-inflation and a breakdown of public services.

Since 2015 the United Nations estimates that three million Venezuelans have fled the country.

Researchers have now analysed data on infant mortality and estimate that since 2009, when drastic cuts to the health service began, the rate of infant mortality has increased dramatically.

The study in the Lancet Global Health shows that in 2016 the infant mortality rate was 21.1 deaths per 1000 live births, compared to 15 deaths per 1000 live births in 2008.