Children’s Survival Shouldn’t Depend on Where They Are Born

Over the past 25 years, the world has made great progress in reducing child mortality. However, millions of children still die before their fifth birthday. The main reason is where they are born and the economic status of their countries and families.
Children born in wealthier nations have a much higher chance of survival than those in poverty, conflict zones, or rural areas. While some low-income countries like Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Rwanda have made significant progress, others like Somalia, Niger, and Chad continue to struggle.

The Reality of Child Mortality in 2022
4.9 million children under five died, mostly from preventable causes.
5 countries with the highest under-five mortality rates:
1- Niger
2- Nigeria
3- Somalia
4- Chad
5- Sierra Leone

5 countries with the lowest under-five mortality rates:
1- Iceland
2- Japan
3- Norway
4- Singapore
5- Estonia

These numbers highlight a widening gap-low-income and fragile states are falling behind.

Global Progress in Reducing Under-Five Mortality
Since 1990, the global under-five mortality rate has dropped by more than 50%. However, progress has been uneven. Children in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia still face the highest risk of early death. A child born in Somalia is 80 times more likely to die before age five than a child born in Iceland.

Who Gets to Survive?

• Low-income countries face child mortality rates up to 15 times higher than high-income countries.
• The highest rates are in Sub-Saharan Africa and Central & Southern Asia.
• Children from low-income families are less likely to survive than those from wealthier backgrounds.

To close this gap, countries struggling with high child mortality should learn from success stories like Bangladesh and Ethiopia, which have significantly reduced their child mortality rates.

Comparison of Under-5 Mortality Reduction: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Somalia, Niger and Chad,Bangladesh, and Rwanda have reduced child mortality at a much higher rate than Niger, Chad, and Somalia, despite facing similar economic challenges.

Lessons from Bangladesh and Ethiopia

Bangladesh has cut its child mortality rate by over 75% since 1990—one of the world’s best improvements.
Ethiopia has reduced child mortality by over 60% since 2000, thanks to major healthcare investments and community health programs.

How did they succeed?
• Investing in maternal and child healthcare
• Expanding vaccination coverage
• Improving nutrition programs
• Training community health workers

Under-5 Mortality and Mother’s Education

Education is key to child survival.
• Mothers with higher education levels are more likely to seek healthcare, provide proper nutrition, and recognize early illness signs.
• Countries with higher dropout rates (like Niger, Chad, and Somalia) have higher child mortality rates.

The Impact of Communicable Diseases

Countries with high child mortality also face high rates of communicable diseases and maternal nutrition deficiencies.
• Bangladesh and Ethiopia have strong vaccination programs, leading to major mortality reductions.
• Niger, Chad, and Somalia still struggle with widespread diseases, worsening child survival rates.

What Needs to Be Done?

1️-Strengthen education and prevent school dropouts, especially for girls.
2️-Implement strong vaccination programs, like those in Bangladesh and Ethiopia.
3️-Improve maternal and child nutrition to prevent early deaths.
4️-Combat communicable diseases through improved sanitation and healthcare access.

The Potential Impact

If other struggling countries follow the same path, they could reduce child mortality at similar rates:
• Ethiopia: Reduced mortality 5.5 times, from 200 deaths per 1,000 in 1990 to 46 in 2023.
• Bangladesh: Reduced mortality 5 times, from 146 in 1990 to 29 in 2023.
Applying these strategies in Niger, Chad, and Somalia could achieve similar progress.

Recommendations
• Expand healthcare access in low-income and rural areas.
• Improve maternal education and nutrition programs.
• Invest in clean water and sanitation.
• Scale up vaccination programs and community health services.
• Provide financial aid and international support to struggling nations.
If fully implemented, these interventions could save 9 million children under five by 2030.

Further steps could be taken to narrow the economical gap between high-income and low-income countries

1- Increase Global Investment in Health & Education
2- Enhance Technology Transfer & Innovation : Bridge the digital divide by providing access to technology, telemedicine, and AI-driven education
3- Develop Sustainable Job Creation Programs: Support entrepreneurship, vocational training

References:

1- World Bank World Development Indicators: “https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators”
2- UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, 2024: “https://data.unicef.org/resources/un-inter-agency-group-for-child-mortality-estimation-unigme/”
3- Child Mortality, Still Birth and Causes of Death Estimates,April, 2024 : “https://childmortality.org”