Childhood Mortality: Happy Fifth Birthday, and a Toast to the Rest of a Better Life

Despite recent improvements in child mortality there remain many things to be done to improve the health of children around the world. By 2012, 6 million children died by the age of five. By analyzing the causes of child mortality, you can seek solutions to further improve the quality of life for children under 5 years of age worldwide. Child mortality has declined dramatically since 1960. Worldwide child mortality rate of children under 5 years of age in 1960 was 1 billion, compared with 6 million in 2012 (UNICEF, Human Progress Act 2011).

Child mortality rate is the mortality rate of children under 5 years old and is calculated as mortality rate (U 5 MR) under 5 years old. Nationwide statistics sometimes categorize these two types of mortality into one category. In the world as a whole, 9.2 million children die every year before the birthday of 5 years old, of which 60% or more are thought to be avoided by low cost measures such as breastfeeding continuation, immunization, nutrition improvement etc. It is. Infant mortality is an indicator used to monitor progress towards the 4 th goal of the 2015 UN Millennium Development Goals. Now is the goal of sustainable development of goal 3 ("securing healthy living and promoting health" - suitable for people of all ages).

In Indonesia and around the world, healthcare workers like Ati steadily reduced maternal mortality and helped to significantly reduce the number of children who died by the age of five. Recent estimates suggest that about 81% of Indonesian children are being vaccinated against some of the most deadly sick vaccines for their children and that they will live a better, more productive life It makes it possible. The number of women in Indonesia using family planning tools has soared from 1/10 of 1950 to about half of today, but millions of women nationwide still have access, information or It lacks the choice. During my last trip to Indonesia, I met three women who told me they mistakenly passed pregnancy.

The average lifespan of the US increased from 47 years in 1900 to 78 years in 2011. This is very good. This is better: most increases come from a decline in infant and child mortality. One of 15 babies born in 1900 did not have a 1 year old birthday and 1 in 5 did not become 5 years old. in America! Today, fewer than 7 people died by the age of five. This decrease means that 700,000 children lose their lives every year and children lose their lives 115 years ago. It is like adding a city like Seattle every year.