It is reasonable to believe that, of all human rights, the right to life is fundamental. And yet the child’s right to life is often underrated. We seem to believe that children’s lives are somehow less valuable than the lives of adults, but why should this be?
Under-five mortality rates
According to the World Health Organisation, the under-five mortality rate for the world as a whole is 39 deaths per 1000 live births. However, there are wide variations in this rate from country to country. Iceland has a death rate of just 1.9 per 1000 live births; Japan’s rate is 2.5 while Ireland’s rate is 3.0. At the other end of the scale, the rate in Afghanistan is 58 deaths per 1000 live births, in Yemen it is 59.6, and in Pakistan it is 65.2 per 1000 live births.
Among African countries the under-five mortality rate varies greatly, but many African countries have very high rates. Among the Sahel countries the rates are 110 for Chad and 95 for Mali. Burkina Faso has an under-five mortality rate of 85, while Niger has a rate of 77.5 deaths per 1000 live births.
Other African countries also have high infant mortality rates. The rate in Sierra Leone is 107.8, the rate in the Central African Republic is 103.0, and the under-five mortality rate in Guinea is 95.6. By contrast, the rate in Botswana is 44.8 and in South Africa it is just 32.2 deaths per 1000 live births.
Causes of child mortality
Malnutrition is the leading cause of infant mortality in developing countries, accounting for 34% of deaths among the under-fives. A further 29% of deaths are attributable to disease – including pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. Most of the remaining deaths are caused by premature birth or by complications surrounding the birth itself.
Small children are especially vulnerable to malnutrition – defined as a shortage in the intake of proteins and vitamins – as they have underdeveloped immune systems. This results in higher death rates from malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory diseases. Malnutrition can also result in death caused by stunted growth, low birth weight and low body weight.
Prevention of child mortality
Measures which have been shown to reduce mortality in the under-fives include:
- Providing clean drinking water
- Promoting female education
- Effective measures to combat poverty and increase household incomes
- Reduction of air pollution caused by the burning of inefficient fuels
- Taking folic acid during pregnancy to reduce birth defects
- Abstinence from alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy
- Breastfeeding infants
- Immunisations (vaccination) in the first year of life
- Avoidance of state failure
- Support for democratic governments responsive to public opinion
- Avoidance of war and governmental corruption
- Reduction of rape and sexual violence
- Spacing births so pregnancies are at least three years apart
- Improvement in maternal and infant health services
- Handwashing with soap before eating reduces rates of diarrhoea