Dying to give birth - the latest on child mortality in poor countries

19 October 2017 - 07:48 By Ernest Mabuza
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Image: Gallo Images/Thinkstock

The world has made substantial progress in reducing child mortality in the past few decades‚ despite the fact that 2.6-million newborns died in 2016‚ or 7‚000 every day.

A report prepared by four bodies said the number of children dying before the age of five was at a new low of 5.6-million in 2016‚ compared with nearly 9.9-million in 2000.

However‚ the proportion of under-five deaths in the newborn period (28 days) has increased from 41 percent to 46 percent during the same period.

The report was released by United Nations Children’s Fund‚ the World Health Organisation (WHO)‚ the World Bank and the United Nations Population Division.

The report said‚ at current trends‚ 60-million children will die before their fifth birthday between 2017 and 2030‚ half of them newborns‚ according to the report.

It said the largest number of newborn deaths occurred in Southern Asia (39%)‚ followed by sub-Saharan Africa (38%).

The report also revealed that five countries accounted for half of all newborn deaths. These are India‚ Pakistan‚ Nigeria‚ the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.

In addition‚ the five countries and China accounted for half of the global under-five deaths.

The report said the millions of children who died under five years of age died mostly from preventable causes such as pneumonia‚ diarrhoea and malaria.

It said in almost half the cases‚ malnutrition played a role‚ while unsafe water‚ sanitation and hygiene were also significant contributing factors.

The report said‚ despite substantial progress‚ improving child survival remained a matter of urgent concern because most of these deaths were preventable.

Dr Flavia Bustreo‚ the WHO’s assistant director-general for family‚ women's and children's health‚ said to achieve universal health coverage and ensure more newborns survive and thrive‚ marginalised families must be served.

"To prevent illness‚ families require financial power‚ their voices to be heard and access to quality care. Improving quality of services and timely care during and after childbirth must be prioritized‚" Bustreo said.

The report said ending preventable child deaths could be achieved by improving access to skilled health professionals during pregnancy and at the time of birth.

Other lifesaving interventions include immunisation‚ breastfeeding and inexpensive medicines. Lives could also be saved by increasing access to water and sanitation‚ which are currently beyond the reach of the world's poorest communities.

Tim Evans‚ senior director of health nutrition and population at the World Bank Group‚ said it was unconscionable that in 2017‚ pregnancy and child birth were still life-threatening conditions for women.

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