Over the past 20 years, significant advances have been made in reducing the number of deaths of children aged under five, largely as a result of more widespread and better vaccinations, better health care, improved education, and greater efforts by governments. The global infant mortality rate has dropped from 12 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011, notwithstanding the fact that the world’s population has increased almost 40% over that time.
The infant mortality rate has decreased by more than 50% over the past two decades in some African countries including Rwanda, Malawi, Ethiopia and Tanzania, but infant mortality remains high in sub-Saharan Africa, with 19 of the 20 countries with highest infant mortality rates being in the region (the other country being Afghanistan). The East African countries with the highest rates are Somalia, Burundi and South Sudan.
Successes over the past 20 years point to greater successes in the future. The biggest killers of children in East Africa are pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, and these can be prevented or treated inexpensively. Increased availability of vaccinations, oral-rehydration salts and antibiotics, along with better nutrition and education and support for mothers, can prevent the vast majority of child deaths.