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UNICEF has released its latest report on child survival. The 2014 Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed progress report is the second in a series intended to track progress on child survival and hold Governments accountable to their promise of reducing by two-thirds the under-five mortality rate between 1990 and 2015, a promise that was renewed by world leaders in 2012.

The report finds that globally, major progress has been made in improving child survival. The lives of almost 100 million children under age 5 have been saved over the past two decades, including 24 million newborns. Despite these advances, the toll of under-five deaths over that same period is staggering: between 1990 and 2013, 223 million children worldwide died before their fifth birthday.

Some highlights from the report:

The under-five mortality rate globally has declined by almost half since 1990. The absolute number of under-five deaths was also cut in half during the same period, from 12.7 million to 6.3 million, saving 17,000 lives every day. Despite this, progress is insufficient to meet the target of reducing by two-thirds the under-five mortality rate by 2015. If current trends continue in all countries, the target will only be reached globally by 2026.

Pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria make up about one-third of all under-five deaths. Although child deaths from leading infectious diseases have declined significantly, pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria were still the main killers of children in 2013. Importantly, neonatal deaths account for 44% of all under-five deaths.

The lives of 24 million newborns have been saved since 1990. The worldwide neonatal mortality rate fell by 40 per cent between 1990 and 2013. Yet despite the availability of effective, proven strategies to prevent newborn deaths, 2.8 million babies still died in the first month of life in 2013, largely of preventable causes.

For 1 million babies every year, their day of birth is also their day of death, accounting for more than a third of neonatal deaths. Close to 2 million newborns die in the first week of life. Investments in maternal care, specifically labour and delivery care and other high-impact interventions focused on the 24 hours around the time of birth, hold the greatest potential for reducing neonatal mortality.

Investments in educating girls and high-quality care for mother and baby are critical for child survival. Neonatal mortality rates of babies born to mothers with no education are nearly twice as high as those babies born to mothers with secondary education or higher. And while we know that complications during labour are responsible for around one-quarter of all neonatal deaths, in 2012, one in three babies, an estimated 44 million newborns, entered the world without the help of a skilled health care provider, putting them at even greater risk during this most vulnerable time.

Read the full report here.

The theme of International Youth Day this year centres on Youth and Mental Health. It is a critically important angle as the mental health of children in developing countries is often overlooked. Yet we know that one in five young people globally experience some form of mental illness.

In aid and development programs, the focus has typically been on the physical needs of children – food, water, shelter – which, of course, are vital. But in countries where children experience extreme poverty, are exposed to multiple risks and where child protection systems are lacking, it is imperative that programs address both the physical and mental health needs of traumatised children and young people.

In a country like Myanmar, many children and youth remain vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Limited awareness of children’s rights, compounded by one of the highest poverty rates in Asia, puts millions of children at risk of trafficking and other forms of violence, abuse and exploitation. While child protection laws exist, they are not widely implemented.

On a recent visit to the country, I spoke with children, teenagers and staff at a ChildFund-supported street children’s refuge in Sagaing Region. Around 50 children and youth live at the centre permanently, while another 200 come and go. Street children, who rely on begging, domestic work, prostitution and rubbish collecting to survive, are exposed to danger on a daily basis and are at high risk of being abused or trafficked. Children here told their stories of living on the streets from as young as five.

Without adequate mental health care and support, these children are more likely to grow up with significant emotional and psychological problems, and will find it difficult to function as parents, income-earners and members of their community. Yet I was pleased to see the care and support the children are receiving at the refuge is not only addressing their basic physical needs. There is also a significant focus on their emotional and psychological health through activities such as meditation workshops, art, music, counselling and team sports. These programs have been critical in helping young people at the centre restore trust, build confidence and regain hope for the future after a life of abuse and exploitation at home and on the streets.

 

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