The decline in child mortality: a reappraisal
The present paper examines, describes and documents country-specific trends in under-five mortality rates (i.e., mortality among children under five years of age) in the 1990s. Our analysis updates previous studies by UNICEF, the World Bank and the United Nations. It identifies countries and WHO reg...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The World Health Organization
2000-01-01
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| Series: | Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862000001000004&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1827334594253291520 |
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| author | Omar B. Ahmad Alan D. Lopez Mie Inoue |
| author_facet | Omar B. Ahmad Alan D. Lopez Mie Inoue |
| author_sort | Omar B. Ahmad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present paper examines, describes and documents country-specific trends in under-five mortality rates (i.e., mortality among children under five years of age) in the 1990s. Our analysis updates previous studies by UNICEF, the World Bank and the United Nations. It identifies countries and WHO regions where sustained improvement has occurred and those where setbacks are evident. A consistent series of estimates of under-five mortality rate is provided and an indication is given of historical trends during the period 1950-2000 for both developed and developing countries. It is estimated that 10.5 million children aged 0-4 years died in 1999, about 2.2 million or 17.5% fewer than a decade earlier. On average about 15% of newborn children in Africa are expected to die before reaching their fifth birthday. The corresponding figures for many other parts of the developing world are in the range 3-8% and that for Europe is under 2%. During the 1990s the decline in child mortality decelerated in all the WHO regions except the Western Pacific but there is no widespread evidence of rising child mortality rates. At the country level there are exceptions in southern Africa where the prevalence of HIV is extremely high and in Asia where a few countries are beset by economic difficulties. The slowdown in the rate of decline is of particular concern in Africa and South-East Asia because it is occurring at relatively high levels of mortality, and in countries experiencing severe economic dislocation. As the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues in Africa, particularly southern Africa, and in parts of Asia, further reductions in child mortality become increasingly unlikely until substantial progress in controlling the spread of HIV is achieved. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T17:58:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a37d376f3ae74f7793400b69607ef77c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0042-9686 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T17:58:52Z |
| publishDate | 2000-01-01 |
| publisher | The World Health Organization |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| spelling | doaj.art-a37d376f3ae74f7793400b69607ef77c2024-03-02T11:22:53ZengThe World Health OrganizationBulletin of the World Health Organization0042-96862000-01-01781011751191S0042-96862000001000004The decline in child mortality: a reappraisalOmar B. Ahmad0Alan D. Lopez1Mie Inoue2World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe present paper examines, describes and documents country-specific trends in under-five mortality rates (i.e., mortality among children under five years of age) in the 1990s. Our analysis updates previous studies by UNICEF, the World Bank and the United Nations. It identifies countries and WHO regions where sustained improvement has occurred and those where setbacks are evident. A consistent series of estimates of under-five mortality rate is provided and an indication is given of historical trends during the period 1950-2000 for both developed and developing countries. It is estimated that 10.5 million children aged 0-4 years died in 1999, about 2.2 million or 17.5% fewer than a decade earlier. On average about 15% of newborn children in Africa are expected to die before reaching their fifth birthday. The corresponding figures for many other parts of the developing world are in the range 3-8% and that for Europe is under 2%. During the 1990s the decline in child mortality decelerated in all the WHO regions except the Western Pacific but there is no widespread evidence of rising child mortality rates. At the country level there are exceptions in southern Africa where the prevalence of HIV is extremely high and in Asia where a few countries are beset by economic difficulties. The slowdown in the rate of decline is of particular concern in Africa and South-East Asia because it is occurring at relatively high levels of mortality, and in countries experiencing severe economic dislocation. As the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues in Africa, particularly southern Africa, and in parts of Asia, further reductions in child mortality become increasingly unlikely until substantial progress in controlling the spread of HIV is achieved.http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862000001000004&lng=en&tlng=eninfant mortalitycause of deathhealth surveysmodelsEuropean regionEuropean regionEuropean regionEuropean regionEuropean region |
| spellingShingle | Omar B. Ahmad Alan D. Lopez Mie Inoue The decline in child mortality: a reappraisal Bulletin of the World Health Organization infant mortality cause of death health surveys models European region European region European region European region European region |
| title | The decline in child mortality: a reappraisal |
| title_full | The decline in child mortality: a reappraisal |
| title_fullStr | The decline in child mortality: a reappraisal |
| title_full_unstemmed | The decline in child mortality: a reappraisal |
| title_short | The decline in child mortality: a reappraisal |
| title_sort | decline in child mortality a reappraisal |
| topic | infant mortality cause of death health surveys models European region European region European region European region European region |
| url | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862000001000004&lng=en&tlng=en |
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