November 13, 2012 Child mortality: Top causes, best solutions
While the number of preventable child deaths has dropped
dramatically, nearly 19,000 children still die from preventable
causes each day. A few simple solutions can save even more
lives. The number of children younger than 5 who die each year
from preventable causes has decreased dramatically — but not
fast enough, say the World Health Organization and
nongovernmental organizations like World Vision. They insist
governments can and should do more to meet the fourth Millennium
Development Goal : reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015,
the under-5 mortality rate — a key measure of a nation’s care
for its most vulnerable citizens, young children, and infants.
Top preventable child killers Six most preventable causes of
death for children younger than 5 are: 1. Pneumonia (kills 1.2
million children annually) 2. Preterm complications (1 million)
3. Newborn infections (700,000) 4. Diarrhea (700,000) 5. Birth
complications (600,000) 6. Malaria (500,0