Global Report on Child Mortality and Stillbirths

Global Report on Child Mortality and Stillbirths

News: Recently, two global reports on child mortality (Levels and Trends in Child Mortality) and stillbirths (Never Forgotten) were released by United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME). 

Key Findings:
Levels and Trends in Child Mortality
•    Data related to Mortality
o    Globally, 5 million children died before their fifth birthday (under-five mortality) in 2021.
o    India’s share in these child mortalities was estimated around 7 lakhs under-five deaths; 5.8 lakhs infant deaths (death before first birthday); and 4.4 lakhs neonatal deaths.
•    Decline in mortality rate 
o    The global under-5 mortality rate fell by 50% since the start of the century, while mortality rates in older children and youth dropped by 36%, and the stillbirth rate decreased by 35%. This can be attributed to more investments in strengthening primary health systems to benefit women, children and young people.
o    However, gains have reduced significantly since 2010, and 54 countries will fall short of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals target for under-5 mortality.
•    Access to quality health 
o    Access to and availability of quality health care continues to be a matter of life or death for children globally. Most child deaths occur in the first five years, of which half are within the first month of life. For these youngest babies, premature birth and complications during labour are the leading causes of death.
•    Sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia continue to have the highest rates of child mortality, with children born in sub-Saharan Africa having the lowest chances of surviving.
•    For children that survive past their first 28 days, infectious diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria pose the biggest threat, the global health agency found.
Report on Still Birth
•    Globally, an estimated 1.9 million stillbirths happened in 2021.
•    In 2021, the absolute estimated number of stillbirths in India (2,86,482) was greater than the death amongst children in 1-59 months of age (2,67,565).

What is the root cause of many child deaths?
•    Preterm Births (Children born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are completed):
o    This is a challenge because these ‘preterm babies’ are two to four times at higher risk of death after birth in comparison to those born after 37 weeks of gestation.
o    Globally, one in every 10 births is preterm; in India, one in every six to seven births is preterm.
o    India has a high burden of preterm births, which means newborns in the country are at greater risk of complications and mortality.
•    Stillbirths 
o    The rates and number of both preterm births and stillbirths are unacceptably high and drive the neonatal, infant and child mortalities upwards in India. Thus, they demand urgent interventions.
o    A baby who dies any time after 22 weeks of pregnancy, but before or during the birth, is classified as a stillborn.
o    One of the reasons preterm births and stillbirths do not get due attention is lack of granular and reliable data.