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What simple measures could save the lives of millions of children?
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 5.6 million children under the age of five die every year from preventable causes. These figures are not only sad, but also cause deep thought in the global community. Although child mortality has declined significantly globally over the past few decades, child survival still faces many challenges in some countries and regions. Only by strengthening targeted measures and reviewing existing strategies can we effectively reduce the incidence of this tragedy.
Today, 15,000 children under the age of five still die every day globally from most preventable diseases.
Causes of child death
According to research, the main causes of death among children under the age of five include: complications of premature birth, pneumonia, enteric diseases, severe malnutrition, etc. These problems are particularly acute in developing countries, where approximately 80% of child deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Approximately 34% of child deaths are caused by severe malnutrition, with the most common complications including pneumonia and diarrhea.
Necessity of preventive measures
When it comes to child survival, the public health community is actively promoting preventive measures aimed at reducing common causes of death. Implementation means include increasing vaccination rates, providing antibiotic therapy, supplementing micronutrients, using bed nets and other behaviors. According to the WHO report, in many cases, simple behavioral changes, such as thorough hand washing, can significantly reduce the risk of disease transmission.
Two-thirds of the approximately 5.6 million child deaths each year could be prevented through simple, low-cost interventions.
The power of low-cost intervention
For children in need, low-cost interventions have proven to be highly effective. For example, vitamin A supplementation, which costs only $0.02 and is administered 2-3 times a year, can significantly reduce child mortality. In addition, oral rehydration therapy (ORT) can effectively treat diarrhea, but currently only 44% of children receive this treatment, which shows the lack of policy implementation.
The need for global cooperation
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and various non-governmental organizations continue to promote child survival activities. These agencies are tasked with strengthening international cooperation, improving resource efficiency and supporting the most vulnerable communities. However, despite significant progress, some 5.6 million children will still die before the age of five in 2020, a warning that our efforts still need to be strengthened.
In the highest risk areas, 80% of deaths can be attributed to malnutrition and susceptibility to disease.
How to improve the public health system
It is necessary to improve the accessibility and equity of the public health system, which can provide timely medical protection for every child. The World Health Organization emphasizes that narrowing the gap between rich and poor and improving knowledge levels will make a vital contribution to reducing child deaths. To this end, better infrastructure needs to be established to enhance community awareness of reproductive health and infant and child health.
Looking to the future
Over the next decade, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will continue to require countries to work to eliminate preventable child deaths. By 2030, countries should achieve the goal of reducing the under-five mortality rate to less than 25 per 1,000 live births. In this process, we need to strengthen global cooperation and resource sharing to ensure that every child can receive the right to life and health that he deserves.
Given all possible measures and human ingenuity, how can we more effectively achieve the goal of saving the lives of millions of children?
