How many child deaths can we prevent this year?

According to UNICEF, about 29,000 children under the age of five (21 each minute) die every day, mainly from preventable causes. More than 70 per cent of almost 11 million child deaths every year are attributable to six causes: diarrhea, malaria, neonatal infection, pneumonia, preterm delivery, or lack of oxygen at birth.

While advances in health care in the developed world often emphasize new technologies, in developing lower- and middle-income countries simply expanding the reach of basic primary care services is crucial to improving health. By providing ready access to basic health services and coordinating care with more specialized services as needed, primary care can reduce hospitalizations and mortality, increase life expectancy, and deliver better overall health.

In comparisons of industrialized and developing countries, the lack of financial resources partially accounts for the differential mortality rates. The process of providing care in developing countries is often poor and varies widely. A large body of evidence from industrial countries consistently shows variations in process, and these findings have transformed how quality of care is perceived (McGlynn and others 2003)

One explanation for variation and low-quality care in the developing world is lack of resources. Limited data indicate, however, that high-quality care can be provided even in environments with severely constrained resources. Compared to industrialized and developing countries, lack of financial resources play a big part in the mortality rates.