Unicef: Child mortality rates dropped by half

MANILA, Philippines - The number of under-five deaths in the Philippines was reduced by half between 1990 and 2011, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported yesterday.

UNICEF said pneumonia and diarrhea are the main causes of child deaths in the Philippines, along with complications and infections during the neonatal period or one month after birth.

Reports showed the number of under-five deaths in the Philippines in 2010 reached 66,000, down by nearly a half from 120,000 in 1990.

In 1990, there were 57 deaths per 1,000 live births but in 2011, the number was reduced to 25 per 1,000.

“In the Philippines we now need to focus our energies on the neonatal period, as this is when 45 percent of the under-five deaths occur. We need to ensure these young babies, many of them born too soon, don’t die before they’ve barely had a chance to live,” UNICEF Philippines Representative Tomoo Hozumi said in a statement.

The Philippines’ Millennium Development Goal target for 2015 is an under-five mortality rate of just 20 deaths per 1,000 live births.

UNICEF said the number of children under five years old dying globally fell from nearly 12 million in 1990 to an estimated 6.9 million in 2011.

The “2012 Progress Report on Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed” showed that major reductions have been made in under-five mortality rates in all regions and diverse countries.

“This has translated into a sharp drop in the estimated number of under-five deaths worldwide,” the report said.

“The global decline in under-five mortality is a significant success that is a testament to the work and dedication of many, including governments, donors, agencies and families,” Anthony Lake, UNICEF executive director, said.

“But there is also unfinished business: Millions of children under five are still dying each year from largely preventable causes for which there are proven, affordable interventions,” Lake said.

“These lives could be saved with vaccines, adequate nutrition and basic medical and maternal care. The world has the technology and know-how to do so. The challenge is to make these available to every child.”

In the Philippines, highest rates of under-five deaths are increasingly focused on the poorest, most remote areas of the country.

For example, a child born in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is four times less likely to reach his fifth birthday than one born in the National Capital Region.

Since June, more than half the world’s governments, including the Philippines, have signed up and renewed their commitment to child survival, UNICEF said.