Around five million children died before their fifth birthday in 2021 and more than two million children and young people between the ages of 5 and 24 lost their lives, mainly due to a lack of adequate health care, according to the report by the UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), published this Tuesday. In other words, in 2021, the most recent year surveyed by the institution, one person under the age of 25 died every 4.4 seconds worldwide. Although significant progress has been made in reducing child mortality in recent decades, these figures also reflect that access to and availability of quality health care for children around the world remains “a matter of life and death,” it says in the document. Especially in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and in Central and South Asia, regions with the highest infant mortality rates.
In addition, 1.9 million babies were stillborn during the same period, according to another report by the group, also released on Tuesday, which estimates about 59 million children and young people will die unless swift action is taken and public investment is encouraged increase . before 2030 and nearly 16 million babies will be stillborn by that year. “Every day too many parents face the trauma of losing their children before they are even born. A tragedy so widespread and preventable should never be accepted as inevitable. Progress is possible with stronger political will and targeted investment in equal access to primary health care for all women and children,” said Vidhya Ganesh, Director of Unicef’s Department of Data Analysis, Planning and Monitoring, when presenting these documents.
“Behind these numbers are millions of children and families who are being denied their basic rights to health,” said Juan Pablo Uribe, global director of health, nutrition and population at the World Bank, in the presentation. “We need political will and leadership for sustainable primary health care financing, which is one of the best investments countries and development partners can make.”
Children under five born in sub-Saharan Africa have the highest risk of infant death in the world, 15 times higher than children in Europe and North America.
In the area of good news, the UN reports show that the global under-five mortality rate has fallen by 50% since 2000, and that of older children and adolescents and fetal mortality by 36% and 35%, respectively. or the reason? “Over the past 30 years, health services to prevent and treat the causes of death in infants such as preterm birth, complications during childbirth, low birth weight, neonatal sepsis, pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria have played an important role in saving millions of lives,” Danzhen You, head of UNICEF’s demographics department and coordinator of UN IGME, explained in response to a question from the newspaper.
However, improvements have slowed significantly since 2010, and if nothing changes, 54 countries will fall short of the SDG target for under-five mortality (25 deaths per 1,000 live births), and more than 60 will not reach the fetal mortality rate (12 deaths or less per 1,000 births) according to the UN IGME document. This group consists of members from UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Population Division (UNDP) and the World Bank.
Lucky to be born here or there
According to the report, in 2021 more than 80% of deaths of children under the age of five and 70% of deaths of young people up to the age of 24 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia. While the under-five mortality rate was 38 per 1,000 people worldwide, it was 74 per 1,000 children in sub-Saharan Africa. These two regions also accounted for 77% of fetal deaths in 2021. In particular, children under five born in sub-Saharan Africa have the highest risk of infant death in the world, 15 times higher than children in Europe and North America. And the risk of stillbirth in a woman in sub-Saharan Africa is seven times higher than in Europe and North America.
A man with his young son waits while his wife consults with Dr. Tiwari, a senior medical officer who works with women who need antenatal and postnatal care. © UNICEF/UN0682525/Latif)
“It is grossly unfair that a child’s chances of survival depend solely on where it is born and that there are such large inequalities in access to life-saving health services,” said Anshu Banerjee, WHO Director of Maternal Health, the Newborn, the Child and the Adolescent. in the presentation. “Children around the world need strong primary health care systems that meet their needs and those of their families so that no matter where they are born, they have the best start and hope for the future,” he added.
But sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South Asia “suffer from low and uneven coverage like ANC coverage at crucial moments4 [cuatro o más visitas de atención prenatal], competent obstetrics, postpartum care and care for small and sick newborns,” explained You. “Closing these gaps in coverage and quality of care will be critical to accelerating progress,” he added.
Political will and investment
In 2021, about 2.3 million children died before the age of one month. That means 6,400 babies died every day in the world. These deaths account for 47% of deaths in children under the age of five. Preterm labor and complications during delivery are the leading causes of death in newborns. On the other hand, 40% of fetal deaths are caused by lack of oxygen during childbirth, placental problems and other complications, which in many cases can be avoided if women have had access to quality care during pregnancy.
Behind these numbers are millions of children and families who are being denied their basic rights to health.
Juan Pablo Uribe, Global Director of Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank
For children surviving the first 28 days, infectious diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria are the leading causes of death. In the age group 5-24 years, injuries such as traffic accidents and drowning, interpersonal violence and self-harm are also the leading causes of death.
On the other hand, although Covid-19 has not directly increased child mortality, as children are less affected by the pandemic than adults, according to this report, the coronavirus may have increased future risks. In particular, UN IGME warns that disruptions to vaccination campaigns, nutrition-related services and access to basic services could jeopardize their health and well-being for many years to come. Indeed, last July, UNICEF warned that the pandemic had caused the largest continuous rollback in vaccines in three decades, increasing the risk of dying from preventable diseases like tetanus or the most vulnerable children, measles.
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