Few statistics are more troubling than childhood mortality. Around the world, roughly 5 million children die each year. Even more concerning, many of these deaths are preventable.
Recently, Our World in Data released a tool that breaks down global childhood mortality data from 2023. The findings, collected from a recent report, reveal that infectious diseases remain a major threat to children, especially in lower-income countries.
What Are the Findings?
Globally, respiratory infections accounted for 14% of childhood deaths. This category includes illnesses such as pneumonia, influenza, COVID-19, and other respiratory diseases. On an average day in 2023, nearly 2,000 children died from respiratory infections.
Malaria was the second-largest disease-related cause of childhood mortality, accounting for nearly 9% of deaths. Diarrheal illnesses, including rotavirus, cholera, and other infections, made up almost 7%. Another 4% of deaths resulted from other infectious diseases, while measles caused approximately 2.5%.
These findings show that infectious diseases are nearly as significant a cause of childhood death as birth-related complications. Birth disorders are largely driven by preterm birth and neonatal suffocation. Together, infectious diseases and birth-related conditions each account for more than 40% of global childhood mortality.
However, global statistics can hide major differences between countries. The data highlight a stark contrast between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. A child born in Nigeria faces more than 20 times the risk of dying before age five compared with a child born in the UK.
In Nigeria, infectious diseases accounted for 56% of childhood deaths. Malaria was the single deadliest disease. This is especially tragic because malaria is largely preventable through measures such as mosquito control, preventive medicines, and timely treatment.
Respiratory infections accounted for another 15% of childhood deaths in Nigeria. Diarrheal diseases caused 8.5%, while other infectious diseases contributed 5.6%.
Many of these illnesses can be prevented through vaccination and basic public health measures. Yet access to preventive healthcare remains limited. Only about 57% of Nigerian children receive the rotavirus vaccine. Vaccination rates are even lower for some other diseases. Roughly one-third of children receive a measles vaccine, and coverage remains similarly low for meningitis and whooping cough vaccines.
The picture looks very different in wealthier countries. In the UK and other developed nations, childhood deaths are much less likely to result from infectious disease. Instead, birth complications and non-communicable conditions account for a larger share of mortality.
According to the UK data, only 2.7% of childhood deaths were linked to respiratory infections. Nearly 40% resulted from preterm birth. Advances in medicine, vaccination, sanitation, and healthcare access have dramatically reduced the burden of many infectious diseases.
Older children face a somewhat different pattern of risk. Among children ages 5 to 14, infectious diseases remain a significant cause of death worldwide.
Nineteen percent of deaths in this age group resulted from infectious diseases other than respiratory illnesses. Respiratory infections accounted for another 10%. Diarrheal diseases and malaria each caused 5.2% of deaths, while tuberculosis was responsible for 2.1%.
Although mortality rates are lower among older children than among infants, these numbers still represent a substantial burden of preventable disease.
What’s Next?
Overall, the data demonstrate how many young lives could be saved through relatively low-cost interventions. Vaccines, improved sanitation, mosquito-control programs, and access to basic healthcare already exist. The challenge is ensuring that these tools reach the children who need them most.
When millions of children continue to die from preventable diseases, the problem is not simply medical. It is also a question of priorities. Expanding access to preventive healthcare could save countless lives and spare families around the world from needless loss.
Conclusion
Childhood mortality remains a major global health challenge, with millions of deaths linked to preventable infections each year. Differences between countries show how access to vaccines, healthcare, and public health measures can improve survival. Expanding these low-cost interventions could save countless children from needless death.
Have an upcoming trip? Passport Health offers a wide variety of options to help keep you safe from disease, including vaccines. Call or book online to schedule your appointment today.
Logan Hamilton is a health and wellness freelance writer for hire. He’s passionate about crafting crystal-clear, captivating, and credible content that elevates brands and establishes trust. When not writing, Logan can be found hiking, sticking his nose in bizarre books, or playing drums in a local rock band. Find him at loganjameshamilton.com.
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