Report: Child mortality rate in the Philippines dropped since 1990
September 18, 2014 | 4:22pm
MANILA, Philippines - The child mortality rate in the Philippines decreased since the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target of reducing child mortality was proposed in 1990.
The Philippines’ mortality rate dropped from 80 to 30 deaths out of 1,000 live births from 1990 to 2011. The infant mortality rate also decreased from 57 to 22.
According to the Department of Health’s data, pneumonia, diarrhea and congenital anomalies are the leading causes of death among children below 5 years of age as of 2010. On the other hand, bacterial sepsis, pneumonia, and respiratory distress are the top leading causes of infant mortality.
The country's MDG 2015 target for under-five children is a mortality rate of 20 deaths out of 1,000 live births.
According to a report, the Philippines has a chance in attaining this goal if the government will provide professional healthcare to expectant mothers, said the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative Tomoo Hozumi.
“We need to do more to reach the most vulnerable children, and ensure that each one of them not only survives, but thrives. UNICEF provides assistance to give children the best possible start in life by working at the national and LGU (local government units) levels to increase the quality of care, the coverage of births attended by skilled birth attendants, and the number of facility-based deliveries with postnatal and neonatal care,” said Hozumi.
A report noted that the Philippines is among 176 governments that signed a pledge to commit to child survival. Data shows that under-five deaths are focused on the poorest and most remote areas of the country.
A recent report from the United Nations, World Health Organization and World Bank published that 17,000 under-five children died last year.
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