Although child mortality trends have decreased worldwide, deaths among children younger than 5 years of age remain high and disproportionately circumscribed to sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Tailored and innovative approaches are needed to increase access, coverage, and quality of child health care services to reduce mortality, but an understanding of health system deficiencies that may have the greatest impact on mortality among children younger than 5 years is lacking.

This cross-sectional study used longitudinal, population-based, and mortality surveillance data collected by CHAMPS to understand preventable causes of death. Overall, 3390 eligible deaths across all 7 CHAMPS sites (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and South Africa) between December 9, 2016, and December 31, 2021 (1190 stillbirths, 1340 neonatal deaths, 860 infant and child deaths), were included.

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Prioritizing Health Care Strategies to Reduce Childhood Mortality

Authors: Zachary J. Madewell, Cynthia G. Whitney, Sithembiso Velaphi, Portia Mutevedzi, Sana Mahtab, Shabir A. Madhi, Ashleigh Fritz, Alim Swaray-Deen, Tom Sesay, Ikechukwu U. Ogbuanu, Margaret T. Mannah, Elisio G. Xerinda, Antonio Sitoe, Inacio Mandomando, Quique Bassat, Sara Ajanovic, Milagritos D. Tapia, Samba O. Sow, Ashka Mehta, Karen L. Kotloff, Adama M. Keita, Beth A. Tippett Barr, Dickens Onyango, Elizabeth Oele, Kitiezo Aggrey Igunza, Janet Agaya, Victor Akelo, J. Anthony G. Scott, Lola Madrid, Yunus-Edris Kelil, Tadesse Dufera, Nega Assefa, Emily S. Gurley, Shams El Arifeen, Ellen A. Spotts Whitney, Katherine Seib, Chris A. Rees, Dianna M. Blau, Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance