During the last 25 years, there has been a significant global improvement in reducing child mortality rates with millions of newborns and children under five now having greater prospects of surviving.
It is hard to imagine, but in 1990, nearly 13 million children died during the first five years of their lives due to multiple, often preventable, causes. For comparison, in 2022, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, this number decreased by 60% to 4.9 million.
The progress is evident. However, many of the challenges remain. Why is it so hard to prevent child mortality and is there any good news for poor countries where children are most likely to die? Let’s delve into this topic in our new article.
The causes of child mortality
According to UNICEF, the primary causes of fatal outcomes among newborns are premature birth, birth complications (asphyxia/trauma), infectious diseases, diarrhea and malaria, and congenital anomalies.
The lack of quality health is one of the most pressing causes of death of mothers and newborns globally.
Fig.1. Causes of child mortality (UNICEF)
Source: Weforum.org
To improve healthcare services and raise the bar for treatment, rapid action is essential.
For infants and their mothers, having access to high-quality medical care remains a crucial factor. Women who benefit from midwife-led continuity of care, with babies delivered by qualified midwives who are trained and certified by international standards, have a 16% lower risk of losing their child and a 24% lower risk of giving birth before term.
Many children under five can be saved if they can access vital lifesaving measures including professional delivery at birth, excellent postnatal care, breastfeeding and healthy nutrition, vaccinations, and medical treatment for common childhood illnesses.
However, depending on their place of birth, children have very different prospects of surviving.
The statistics behind child, teen, and youth mortality
The UN reports that the global under-5 mortality rate has declined by 51% since the year 2000 and more children are surviving today than ever before.
Let’s look at the latest global data on mortality among children:
Fig.2. Neonatal mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) by country, 2022
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024
Note: This visualization does not represent UNICEF’s view on the legal status of any nation or area, or the delimitation of any borders. The ranking relies on unrounded numbers.
Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia are the regions with the highest child mortality rates, totaling nearly 80% of the 4.9 million fatalities.
Thus, 27 children out of every 1,000 newborns died in sub-Saharan Africa and 21 deaths per 1,000 live births were registered in Central and Southern Asia.
Children born in sub-Saharan Africa are 18 times more likely to pass away during the first months of birth than newborns in Slovenia and Singapore, where child mortality rates stand at 1.5 deaths per 1000 births.
All the countries with the highest child mortality rates are located in these two regions.
Fig.3. Top 10 countries with the highest infant mortality rate (CIA World Factbook)
Source: CIA.gov
Some positive news for low- and lower-middle-income nations
Worldwide, the under-five mortality rate has registered a 51% decrease since 2000. At the same time, countries like Malawi, Rwanda, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Cambodia, Mongolia, Sao Tome, Principe, and Uzbekistan have managed to considerably decrease the child mortality rate by over 75% over the last few decades.
This means that even with limited resources it is possible to achieve excellent results if all the necessary measures are taken, including investments in the health and survival of mothers, newborns, and children.
Of the 200 nations and regions examined in a recent UN research, 134 have already managed to reach the 2030 SDG target on under-five mortality (not more than 25 deaths per 1000 live births).
Progress towards lowering child mortality
While UNICEF attributes the decrease in child fatalities to the persistent dedication of governments, institutions, local communities, medical professionals, and families, progress has not been made for some time.
Certain high-impact measures should be given priority, such as having trained personnel present at births, providing prenatal and postnatal care, improving the detection and treatment of childhood illnesses, and vaccinations.
UNICEF emphasizes the value of data in analyzing child mortality since it enables patterns to be pinpointed and the underlying causes of death to be established. Sadly, data collection typically falls short, especially in conflict-ridden or fragile countries where children are particularly vulnerable.
Another key player in the effort to reduce child mortality rates is the World Health Organisation. WHO is collaborating with stakeholders and health ministries with the goal of:
- Increasing funding for primary healthcare, especially during the first week of life and the period immediately following birth.
- Raising the standard of care for expectant mothers and newborns during the entire postnatal phase with a focus on midwifery.
- Increasing the availability of high-quality care for small and sick babies.
- Improving measurement, and program monitoring.
- Encouraging and supporting mothers and communities to stand up for high-quality infant care.
Final word
Over the past two decades, the child mortality rate has registered a considerable decrease. Yet, a large number of babies and mothers are still in desperate need of quality care. To be able to help them, international organizations like WHO and UNICEF focus on attracting investment in the sector and cooperate with interested parties to support expectant mothers and enable high-quality care for infants to be more accessible.
