Momentum slows in reducing child mortality rates; significant inequity found

Efforts to reduce child mortality rates appear to have stagnated.

That is the finding of the government’s Child and Mortality Review Committee, which analysed 2666 children aged between 28 days and 24 years, who died between 2015 and 2019.

The committee, which is part of the Health Quality and Safety Commission, also found the mortality rates reflect a significant inequity, with Māori and Pacific children far more likely to die.

The committee’s co-chair, Matthew Reid, said child mortality had been steadily reducing – but this appears to have stopped.

“Strong progress was made in the past, that momentum has been lost.

“In recent times we’ve just seen that mortality rates have not been reducing as much as they did earlier on. We’ve described it as stagnant.” Read more

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News category: New Zealand, News Shorts.

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