India's Abandoned Children: Country #2 In Under-5 Mortality
On Tuesday, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, (UNICEF), published a report titled ‘The State Of World’s Children 2021’. This reports throws light on the condition of children around the world in different countries, and has released data pertaining to this. The report shows that India ranks 2nd in the mortality rate of children under 5.
In 2019, there were 8,24,000 Indian children who died before they could reach the age of five years.
In India, 34 children died for every 1000 children under 5 years old, making India the second behind Nigeria, where 8,58,000 children under 5 years of age died in 2019, and the rate per 1000 was 117. Pakistan follows India at the third place in this list, but the gap in this context between the two countries is significant. In Pakistan, 4,00,000 children under 5 years died in 2019, and the rate per 1000 is 67.
has ordered countries on two opposite bases, i.e., those most and least burdened by child mortality. India features high on the list of countries with the most burden of child mortality, joined by neighbouring China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and low income African countries Uganda and Sudan. On the other hand, countries like Kuwait, New Zealand, Bhutan, Singapore are in the list with the least burden of child mortality. The report says of the latter list that the rate of under-5 child mortality is less than 1000 in these countries.
The worrying aspect is that India has already failed to provide adequate healthcare or protection to new-borns and infants, and the COVID-19 pandemic can further aggravate the situation. The United Nations had released a report in March which earned that the pandemic’s adverse impact on health services may lead to South Asia experiencing the most under-5 mortality cases in 2020.
This report had focused on the six most populated South Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and it had projected that India would see the most under-5 mortality rates in the region. The report had also estimated an increase in stillbirths (baby born dead) and maternal mortality (death of mothers).
Although the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to an increase in under-5 child mortality in India, but a recent report of the United Nations also says that in the 39 years between 1990-2019, the total under-5 deaths, the rate of under-5 mortality, national mortality rates, and the stillbirths rate have all gone down.
In India, 34 children died for every 1000 children under 5 years old, making India the second behind Nigeria, where 8,58,000 children under 5 years of age died in 2019, and the rate per 1000 was 117. Pakistan follows India at the third place in this list, but the gap in this context between the two countries is significant. In Pakistan, 4,00,000 children under 5 years died in 2019, and the rate per 1000 is 67.
has ordered countries on two opposite bases, i.e., those most and least burdened by child mortality. India features high on the list of countries with the most burden of child mortality, joined by neighbouring China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and low income African countries Uganda and Sudan. On the other hand, countries like Kuwait, New Zealand, Bhutan, Singapore are in the list with the least burden of child mortality. The report says of the latter list that the rate of under-5 child mortality is less than 1000 in these countries.
The worrying aspect is that India has already failed to provide adequate healthcare or protection to new-borns and infants, and the COVID-19 pandemic can further aggravate the situation. The United Nations had released a report in March which earned that the pandemic’s adverse impact on health services may lead to South Asia experiencing the most under-5 mortality cases in 2020.
This report had focused on the six most populated South Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and it had projected that India would see the most under-5 mortality rates in the region. The report had also estimated an increase in stillbirths (baby born dead) and maternal mortality (death of mothers).
Although the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to an increase in under-5 child mortality in India, but a recent report of the United Nations also says that in the 39 years between 1990-2019, the total under-5 deaths, the rate of under-5 mortality, national mortality rates, and the stillbirths rate have all gone down.
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