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Child mortality refers to the death of infants and children under the age of five. About 26,000 young children die every day, mainly from preventable causes. [1] In 2006, 9. 7 million children under five died, a 60% decline since 1960. About half of child deaths occur in Africa.


According to an estimate by UNICEF, one million child deaths could be prevented annually at a cost of $US 1 billion per year (an average of $US 1000 for each child). The United Nations Children's Fund (or UNICEF) was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946 [2] Reduction of child mortality is the fourth of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security


Contents

Causes of Child Mortality

According to UNICEF[3], most child deaths (and 70% in developing countries)[4] result from one the following five causes or a combination thereof:

Two-thirds of child deaths are preventable. Acute viral nasopharyngitis or acute coryza, usually known as the common cold, is a highly contagious viral Infectious disease of the In Medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea (see spelling differences) is frequent loose or liquid Bowel movements Acute diarrhea Measles (rubeola is a Disease caused by a virus specifically a Paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet. [5] Malnutrition and the lack of safe water and sanitation contribute to half of all these children’s deaths. Research and experience show that most of the children who die each year could be saved by low-tech, evidence-based, cost-effective measures such as vaccines, antibiotics, micronutrient supplementation, insecticide-treated bed nets and improved family care and breastfeeding practices. A vaccine is a biological preparation which is used to establish or improve immunity to a particular disease In modern usage an antibiotic is a Chemotherapeutic agent with activity against Microorganisms such as Bacteria, fungi or Protozoa Breastfeeding is the feeding of an Infant or young Child with Breast milk directly from human Breasts, not from a Baby bottle or other [6]

Child Mortality Rate

The under-five mortality rate or child mortality rate is the number of children who die by the age of five, per thousand live births. In 2006, the world average was 72 (7. 2%). The average in developing countries was 79 (down from 103 in 1990), whereas the average in industrialized countried was 6 (down from 10 in 1990). One in six children in Sub-Saharan Africa die before their fifth birthday. The biggest improvement between 1990 and 2006 was in Latin America and the Caribbean, which cut their child mortality rates by 50%. [7]

A child in Sierra Leone, which has the world's highest child mortality rate (270)[8] is almost 100 times more likely to die than one born in Sweden (with a rate of 3). [9]

Highest Rates in the World

In 2006, there were 41 countries in which at least 10% of children under five died. All but three were in Africa. Ten of the 41 had higher rates of child mortality than in 1990, and four were exactly the same. The worst 20 were: [10]

In deaths per thousand

  1. Sierra Leone - 270
  2. Angola - 260
  3. Afghanistan - 257
  4. Niger - 253
  5. Liberia - 235
  6. Mali - 217
  7. Chad - 209
  8. Equatorial Guinea - 206
  9. Democratic Republic of the Congo - 205
  10. Burkina Faso - 204
  11. Guinea-Bissau - 200
  12. Nigeria - 191
  13. Zambia - 180
  14. Burundi - 181
  15. Central African Republic - 175
  16. Swaziland - 164
  17. Guinea - 161
  18. Rwanda - 160
  19. Cameroon - 149
  20. Benin - 148


References

  1. ^ UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
  2. ^ UNICEF Facts on Children - May 2008
  3. ^ UNICEF - Health - the big picture
  4. ^ UNICEF - Health
  5. ^ UNICEF - Young child survival and development. Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (República de Angola Pronounced ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈgɔlɐ Repubilika ya Ngola is a country in south-central Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Niger ( or /ˈnaɪdʒɚ/) officially the Republic of Niger, is a Landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. Chad (Tchad تشاد Tshād) officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a Landlocked country in Central Africa. The Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( República de Guinea Ecuatorial,) is a country in Central Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to Burkina Faso (bɚˌkiːnəˈfɑːsoʊ burr-KEE-na FAH-soh) also known by its short-form name Burkina, is a Landlocked nation in West Africa The Republic of Guinea-Bissau (ˈgɪni bɨˈsaʊ República da Guiné-Bissau ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɐ giˈnɛ biˈsau is a country in Western Africa, and one of the smallest Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal The Republic of Zambia (ˈzæmbɪə is a Landlocked country in Southern Africa. Burundi (buˈɾundi officially the Republic of Burundi, is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda Central Africa|Central African FederationThe Central African Republic ( CAR) République Centrafricaine ʀepyblik sɑ̃tʀafʀikɛn or Centrafrique) is a Landlocked The Kingdom of Swaziland is a country located in Southern Africa centred at approximately 26o49'S 31o38'E Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea The Republic of Rwanda (ruːˈændə or /rəˈwɑːndə/ in English ɾwanda or in Kinyarwanda is a small Landlocked country in the The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central and western Africa. Benin (bə'nɪn officially the Republic of Benin, and also known as Benin Republic, is a country in Western Africa.
  6. ^ UNICEF MDG Goal 4
  7. ^ UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
  8. ^ UNICEF - Sierra Leone statistics
  9. ^ UNICEF - Sweden statistics
  10. ^ UNICEF - Info by Country

See also

Child survival is a field of Public health concerned with reducing Child mortality. Infant mortality is defined as the number of deaths of Infants (one year of age or younger per 1000 live births The United Nations Children's Fund (or UNICEF) was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946
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