Under-5s mortality rate drops 76.9%

Malawi has reduced the under-five mortality rate by 76.9 percent from about 173 per 1 000 live births in 2000 to about 40 in 2022, a United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) child mortality report has shown.

The report said about 26 000 children below five years old died in 2022, representing a 69.4 percent decrease from about 85 000 children died in 2000.

It further shows that about 18 percent of under-five deaths were due to  premature birth, 14 percent due to lower respiratory infections (pneumonia)and  12 percent due to birth asphyxia/trauma. About nine percent of the deaths were due to malaria and diarrhoea each, while about eight percent died due to congenital anomalies.

In a statement dated March 13 2024, World Health Organisation director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that most of the deaths could have been prevented with better access to high-quality primary health care such as vaccinations, availability of skilled health personnel at birth, among others.

He observed that improving access to quality health services and saving children’s lives from preventable deaths requires investment in education, jobs, and decent working conditions for health workers to deliver primary health care, including community health workers.

Malawi and Rwanda are the only African countries that have reduced under-five mortality rate by over 75 percent.

The report further shows that the infant mortality rate in Malawi has also decreased from 141 in 1990 to 30 in 2022, while infant deaths (below one year old)  have decreased from about 62 000 in 1990 to about 20 000 in 2022.

Neonatal (below 28 completed days) deaths has also reduced from about 20 000 in 2000 to about 12 000 in 2022.

The probability of dying between five and 14 years (per 1 000) has also gone down from 38 in 1990 to 12 in 2022, while for those aged between 15 and 24 years it has also declined from 41 in 1990 to 18 in 2022.

Reacting to the report yesterday, Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe described it as “a great achievement and very encouraging”. 

Ministry of health officials were not available for the immediate comment.

The proposed Sustainable Development Goals, target to reduce the neonatal mortality to at least lower than 12 deaths per 1 000 live births and under-five mortality to at least as low as 25 deaths per 1 000 live births by 2030.