Trends in cause-specific mortality among children aged 5-14 years from 2005 to 2016 in India, China, Brazil, and Mexico: an analysis of nationally representative mortality studies.

BACKGROUND: With global survival increasing for children younger than 5 years of age, attention is required to reduce the approximately 1 million deaths of children aged 5-14 years occurring every year. Causes of death at these ages remain poorly documented. We aimed to explore trends in mortality by causes of death in India, China, Brazil, and Mexico, which are home to about 40% of the world's children aged 5-14 years and experience more than 200 000 deaths annually at these ages. METHODS: We examined data on 244 401 deaths in children aged 5-14 years from four nationally representative data sources that obtained direct distributions of causes of death: the Indian Million Death Study, the Chinese Disease Surveillance Points, mortality data from the Mexican Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, and mortality data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. We present data on 12 main disease groups in all countries, with breakdown by communicable and nutritional diseases, non-communicable diseases, injuries, and ill-defined causes. To calculate age-specific and sex-specific death rates for each cause, we applied the national cause of death distribution to the UN mortality envelopes for 2005-16 for each country. FINDINGS: Unlike Brazil, China, and Mexico, communicable diseases still account for nearly half of deaths in India in children aged 5-14 years (73 920 [46·1%] of 160 330 estimated deaths in 2016). In 2016, India had the highest death rates in nearly every category, including from communicable diseases. Fast declines among girls in communicable disease mortality narrowed the gap by 2016 with boys in India (32·6 deaths per 100 000 girls vs 26·2 per 100 000 boys) and China (1·7 vs 1·5). In China, injuries accounted for the greatest proportions of deaths (20 970 [53·2%] of 39 430 estimated deaths, in which drowning was a leading cause). The homicide death rate at ages 10-14 years was higher for boys than for girls in Brazil, increasing annually by an average of 0·7% (0·3-1·1). In India and China, the suicide death rates were higher for girls than for boys at ages 10-14 years. By contrast, in Mexico it was higher for boys than for girls, increasing annually by an average of 2·8% (2·0-3·6). Deaths from transport injuries, drowning, and cancer are common in all four countries, with transport accidents among the top three causes of death for both sexes in all countries, except for Indian girls, and cancer in the top three causes for both sexes in Mexico, Brazil, and China. INTERPRETATION: Most of the deaths that occurred between 2005 and 2016 in children aged 5-14 years in India, China, Brazil, and Mexico arose from preventable or treatable conditions. This age group is important for extending some of the global disease-specific targets developed for children younger than 5 years of age. Interventions to control non-communicable diseases and injuries and to strengthen cause of death reporting systems are also required. FUNDING: WHO and the University of Toronto Connaught Global Challenge.

Global, Regional, and National Estimates of Rotavirus Mortality in Children <5 Years of Age, 2000-2013.

BACKGROUND: Rotavirus vaccine is recommended for routine use in all countries globally. To facilitate decision making on rotavirus vaccine adoption by countries, help donors prioritize investments in health interventions, and monitor vaccine impact, we estimated rotavirus mortality for children <5 years of age from 2000 to 2013. METHODS: We searched PubMed using the keyword "rotavirus" to identify studies that met each of the following criteria: data collection midpoint in year 1998 or later, study period of a 12-month increment, and detection of rotavirus infection by enzyme immunoassay in at least 100 children <5 years of age who were hospitalized with diarrhea and systematically enrolled through active surveillance. We also included data from countries that participated in the World Health Organization (WHO)-coordinated rotavirus surveillance network between 2008 and 2013 that met these criteria. To predict the proportion of diarrhea due to rotavirus, we constructed a multiple linear regression model. To determine the number of rotavirus deaths in children <5 years of age from 2000 to 2013, we multiplied annual, country-specific estimates of the proportion of diarrhea due to rotavirus from the regression model by the annual number of WHO-estimated child deaths caused by diarrhea in each country. RESULTS: Globally, we estimated that the number of rotavirus deaths in children <5 years of age declined from 528 000 (range, 465 000-591 000) in 2000 to 215 000 (range, 197 000-233 000) in 2013. The predicted annual rotavirus detection rate from these studies declined slightly over time from 42.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 37.4%-47.5%) in 2000 to 37.3% (95% CI, 34.2%-40.5%) in 2013 globally. In 2013, an estimated 47 100 rotavirus deaths occurred in India, 22% of all rotavirus deaths that occurred globally. Four countries (India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Democratic Republic of Congo) accounted for approximately half (49%) of all estimated rotavirus deaths in 2013. DISCUSSION: While rotavirus vaccine had been introduced in >60 countries worldwide by the end of 2013, the majority of countries using rotavirus vaccine during the review period were low-mortality countries and the impact of rotavirus vaccine on global estimates of rotavirus mortality has been limited. Continued monitoring of rotavirus mortality rates and deaths through rotavirus surveillance will aid in monitoring the impact of vaccination.

Data collection tools for maternal and child health in humanitarian emergencies: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To describe tools used for the assessment of maternal and child health issues in humanitarian emergency settings. METHODS: We systematically searched MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge and POPLINE databases for studies published between January 2000 and June 2014. We also searched the websites of organizations active in humanitarian emergencies. We included studies reporting the development or use of data collection tools concerning the health of women and children in humanitarian emergencies. We used narrative synthesis to summarize the studies. FINDINGS: We identified 100 studies: 80 reported on conflict situations and 20 followed natural disasters. Most studies (76/100) focused on the health status of the affected population while 24 focused on the availability and coverage of health services. Of 17 different data collection tools identified, 14 focused on sexual and reproductive health, nine concerned maternal, newborn and child health and four were used to collect information on sexual or gender-based violence. Sixty-nine studies were done for monitoring and evaluation purposes, 18 for advocacy, seven for operational research and six for needs assessment. CONCLUSION: Practical and effective means of data collection are needed to inform life-saving actions in humanitarian emergencies. There are a wide variety of tools available, not all of which have been used in the field. A simplified, standardized tool should be developed for assessment of health issues in the early stages of humanitarian emergencies. A cluster approach is recommended, in partnership with operational researchers and humanitarian agencies, coordinated by the World Health Organization.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on excess maternal deaths in Brazil: A two-year assessment.

BACKGROUND: Accurate estimates of the COVID-19 pandemic's indirect impacts are crucial, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study aims to update estimates of excess maternal deaths in Brazil during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This was an exploratory mixed ecological study using the counterfactual approach. The observed maternal deaths were gathered from the Mortality Information System (SIM) for the period between March 2015 and February 2022. Expected deaths from March 2020 to February 2022 were estimated using quasipoisson generalized additive models, considering quadrimester, age group, and their interaction as predictor variables. Analyses were performed in R version 4.1.2, RStudio, version 2023.03.1+446 and carried out with support from the "mgcv" and "plot_model" libraries. RESULTS: A total of 5,040 maternal deaths were reported, with varying excess mortality across regions and age groups, resulting in 69% excess maternal mortality throughout Brazil during the first two years of the pandemic. The Southeast region had 50% excess mortality throughout the first two years and 76% excess in the second year. The North region had 69% excess mortality, increasing in the second year, particularly among women aged 20-34. The Northeast region showed 80% excess mortality, with a significant increase in the second year, especially among women aged 35-49. The Central-West region had 75% excess mortality, higher in the second year and statistically significant among women aged 35-49. The South region showed 117% excess mortality, reaching 203% in the second year among women aged 20-34, but no excess mortality in the 10-19 age category. CONCLUSIONS: Over two years, Brazil saw a significant impact on maternal excess deaths, regardless of region and pandemic year. The highest peak occurred between March and June 2021, emphasizing the importance of timely and effective epidemic responses to prevent avoidable deaths and prepare for new crises.

What do children aged 5 to 14 years die from in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil? Trend analysis of the period 2000-2019. / De que morrem as crianças de 5 a 14 anos no estado do Rio de Janeiro? Análise do período 2000-2019.

This study investigated the magnitude and trends of cause-specific mortality among children 5 to 14 years of age in the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ) from 2000 to 2019. We performed an ecological study, using data from the Mortality Information System (MIS). We calculated mortality rates per 100,000 children by chapters, groups, and categories of causes of death (ICD-10). Trends were estimated by joinpoint regression. Mortality rates among children aged 10 to 14 years were higher than those among children 5 to 9. The five leading causes of death were the same in both age groups, but they ranked differently. The two leading ones were external causes and neoplasms (31% and 15% among children aged 5 to 9 years; 45% and 11% among children aged 10 to 14 years). Among children 5 to 9 years, the mortality trend showed an annual decline (8%) from 2011 to 2015. Among children aged 10 to 14 years, the annual decline was 1.3% from 2000 to 2019. Mortality due to external causes decreased in both age groups, except for the category "Assault by unspecified firearm" (boys, 10 to 14 years) and "Unspecified drowning and submersion" (boys, 5 to 9 years). Mortality caused by neoplasms remained steady in both age groups. Infectious and respiratory diseases decreased differently between the two groups. Most causes of death are preventable or treatable, indicating the need for health and intersectoral investments.

Objetivou-se investigar a magnitude e a tendência da mortalidade de crianças de 5 a 14 anos por causas, no estado do Rio de Janeiro, de 2000 a 2019. Estudo ecológico de tendência temporal utilizando dados do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM). Calcularam-se taxas de mortalidade por 100 mil crianças, por capítulos, grupos e categorias (CID-10). Estimou-se a série temporal por regressão joinpoint. As taxas de mortalidade de 10 a 14 anos foram superiores às da faixa de 5 a 9 anos. As cinco principais causas foram as mesmas de 5 a 14 anos, com diferente ordem de importância. As duas principais foram causas externas e neoplasias (31% e 15% para 5 a 9 anos; 45% e 11% para 10 a 14 anos). De 5 a 9 anos, a tendência da mortalidade teve declínio anual (8%) entre 2011 e 2015. De 10 a 14 anos, o declínio anual foi 1,3%, de 2000 a 2019. A mortalidade por causas externas decresceu em ambas as faixas, menos para a categoria "Agressão por arma de fogo" (meninos,10-14 anos) e "Afogamento" (meninos, 5-9 anos). A mortalidade por neoplasias ficou estável para todos. Doenças infecciosas e respiratórias decresceram de forma diferenciada entre os grupos. A maioria das causas de morte é evitável ou tratável, apontando necessidade de investimentos em saúde e intersetoriais.

Diarrhea incidence in low- and middle-income countries in 1990 and 2010: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea is recognized as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under 5 years of age in low- and middle-income countries yet updated estimates of diarrhea incidence by age for these countries are greatly needed. We conducted a systematic literature review to identify cohort studies that sought to quantify diarrhea incidence among any age group of children 0-59 mo of age. METHODS: We used the Expectation-Maximization algorithm as a part of a two-stage regression model to handle diverse age data and overall incidence rate variation by study to generate country specific incidence rates for low- and middle-income countries for 1990 and 2010. We then calculated regional incidence rates and uncertainty ranges using the bootstrap method, and estimated the total number of episodes for children 0-59 mo of age in 1990 and 2010. RESULTS: We estimate that incidence has declined from 3.4 episodes/child year in 1990 to 2.9 episodes/child year in 2010. As was the case previously, incidence rates are highest among infants 6-11 mo of age; 4.5 episodes/child year in 2010. Among these 139 countries there were nearly 1.9 billion episodes of childhood diarrhea in 1990 and nearly 1.7 billion episodes in 2010. CONCLUSIONS: Although our results indicate that diarrhea incidence rates may be declining slightly, the total burden on the health of each child due to multiple episodes per year is tremendous and additional funds are needed to improve both prevention and treatment practices in low- and middle-income countries.

[Maternal mortality trend in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2006-2018, according to the ICD-MM classification]. / Tendência da mortalidade materna no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, entre 2006 e 2018, segundo a classificação CID-MM.

The study aimed to analyze the trend in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) according to the ICD classification for maternal mortality (ICD-MM) classification in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 2006 to 2018. This was a time trend study of MMR in Rio de Janeiro according to type of death (direct or indirect) and groups of causes in the World Health Organization (WHO) ICD-MM. MMR was calculated with data from Brazilian Mortality Information System (SIM) and Brazilian Information System on Live Births (SINASC). Trends were estimated with the Joinpoint Regression Program. Of the 2,192 maternal deaths in the state, 61% were from direct causes, 34% from indirect causes, and 5% unspecified. There was a downward trend in total MMR and MMR from direct causes: -1.2% (95%CI: -2.3; -0.1) per year and -3.8% (95%CI: -4.9; -2.6) from 2006 to 2015, respectively. For direct causes, according to the ICD-MM, group 2 (hypertensive causes) predominated, but there was a decrease in eclampsia. Next came group 5 (other complications, featuring category O90 and subcategory O90.3 - peripartum cardiomyopathy) and group 1 (pregnancy with abortive outcomes). Indirect causes showed stability, and the majority belonged to category O99 and its subcategories related to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. MMR in Rio de Janeiro showed a downward trend from 2006 to 2018, although far short of WHO recommendations and with different patterns among the causes. ICD-MM was useful for identifying major groups of causes, but it is necessary to disaggregate by subcategories to adequately elucidate the etiology of maternal death.

O objetivo foi analisar a tendência da razão de mortalidade materna (RMM) segundo a classificação CID-Mortalidade Materna (CID-MM) no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, no período de 2006 a 2018. Foi realizado estudo de tendência temporal da RMM no Rio de Janeiro segundo tipo de óbito - direto ou indireto - e grupos de causas da classificação CID-MM, da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). A RMM foi calculada com dados do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM) e do Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC). As tendências foram estimadas pelo Joinpoint Regression Program. Dos 2.192 óbitos maternos no estado, 61% foram por causas diretas, 34% indiretas e 5% não especificadas. A tendência da RMM total e por causas diretas foi de declínio: 1,2% (IC95%: -2,3; -0,1) ao ano e 3,8% (IC95%: -4,9; -2,6) entre 2006 e 2015, respectivamente. Para causas diretas, segundo a CID-MM, o grupo 2 (causas hipertensivas) foi preponderante, mas houve declínio da eclâmpsia. Seguiram-se o grupo 5 (outras complicações, das quais se destacaram a categoria O90 e a subcategoria O90.3 - cardiomiopatia no puerpério) e o grupo 1 (gravidez que termina em aborto). As causas indiretas apresentaram estabilidade e a maioria pertencia à categoria O99 e suas subcategorias, relacionadas a doenças cardiovasculares e respiratórias. A RMM no Rio de Janeiro apresentou tendência de declínio entre 2006 e 2018, porém distante do recomendado pela OMS e com diferentes comportamentos entre as causas. A classificação CID-MM foi útil para identificar grandes grupos de causas, mas é preciso desagregar por subcategorias, para o adequado conhecimento da etiologia da morte materna.

El objetivo fue analizar la tendencia de la razón de mortalidad materna (RMM), según la clasificación CID-Mortalidad Materna (CID-MM) en el Estado de Río de Janeiro, Brasil, durante el período de 2006 a 2018. Estudio de tendencia temporal de la RMM en Río de Janeiro según el tipo de óbito -directo o indirecto- y grupos de causas de la clasificación CID-MM, de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). Se calculó la RMM con datos del Sistema de Información sobre Mortalidad (SIM) y del Sistema de Información sobre Nacidos Vivos (SINASC). Se estimaron las tendencias mediante Joinpoint Regression Program. De los 2192 óbitos maternos en el estado, un 61% fueron por causas directas, 34% indirectas y 5% no especificadas. La tendencia de la RMM total y por causas directas fue en declive: 1,2% (IC95%: -2,3; -0,1) al año y 3,8% (IC95%: -4,9; -2,6) entre 2006 y 2015, respectivamente. Para las causas directas, según la CID-MM, el grupo 2 (causas hipertensivas) fue preponderante, pero hubo declive de la eclampsia. Siguieron en el grupo 5 (otras complicaciones, de las cuales se destacaron la categoría O90 y la subcategoría O90.3 - cardiomiopatía en el puerperio) y el grupo 1 (embarazo que termina en aborto). Las causas indirectas presentaron estabilidad y la mayoría pertenecía a la categoría O99 y sus subcategorías relacionadas con enfermedades cardiovasculares y respiratorias. La RMM en Río de Janeiro presentó una tendencia decreciente entre 2006 y 2018, no obstante, dista de lo recomendado por la OMS y cuenta con diferentes comportamientos entre las causas. La clasificación CID-MM fue útil para identificar grandes grupos de causas, pero es necesario desagregar por subcategorías, para el adecuado conocimiento de la etiología de la muerte materna.

Trends in sociodemographic inequalities in prenatal care in Baixada Litorânea, a region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2000-2020: an ecological study. / Tendência das desigualdades sociodemográficas no pré-natal na Baixada Litorânea do estado do Rio de Janeiro, 2000-2020: um estudo ecológico.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze trends in sociodemographic inequalities in the access to and use of prenatal care in Baixada Litorânea, a region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2000-2020. METHODS: This was an ecological time-series study of the number of visits and adequacy of access to prenatal care. Absolute (differences) and relative (ratios) inequalities were calculated between extreme categories of variables; trends were estimated using joinpoint regression. RESULTS: A total of 185,242 pregnant women were studied. A proportion of ≥ 7 visits increased annually by 2.4% (95%CI 1.1;3.7) between 2013 (54.4%) and 2020 (63.4%), stable for less than eight years of schooling. Adequacy of access increased 2.6% (95%CI 1.2;4.0) between 2014 and 2020, stable for women ≥ 35 years old and schooling ≥ 12 years. Absolute inequalities decreased (between 3.5% and 6.4%) for age and race/skin color, and relative inequalities decreased (between 7.7% and 20.0%) for all variables. CONCLUSION: Access and number of prenatal consultations increased, however, remained lower for adolescents, women with low level of schooling and those of Black and mixed race/skin color.

Measuring and monitoring child health and wellbeing: recommendations for tracking progress with a core set of indicators in the Sustainable Development Goals era.

Although great improvements in child survival were achieved in the past two decades, progress has been uneven within and across countries, and the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse previous advances. Demographic and epidemiological transitions around the world have resulted in shifts in the causes and distribution of child death and diseases, and many children are living with short-term and long-term chronic illnesses and disabilities. These changes, plus global threats such as pandemics, transnational and national security issues, and climate change, mean that regular monitoring of child health and wellbeing is essential if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This Health Policy describes the three-phased process undertaken by the Child Health Accountability Tracking technical advisory group (CHAT) to develop a core set of indicators on child health and wellbeing for global monitoring purposes, and presents CHAT's research recommendations to address data gaps. CHAT reached consensus on 20 core indicators specific to the health sector, which include 11 impact-level indicators and nine outcome-level indicators that cover the topics of: acute conditions and prevention; health promotion and child development; and chronic conditions, disabilities, injuries, and violence against children. An additional six indicators (three impact and three outcome) that capture information on child health issues such as malaria and HIV are recommended; however, these indicators are only relevant to high-burden regions. CHAT's four research priorities will require investments in health information systems and measurement activities. These investments will help to increase data on children aged 5-9 years; develop standard metadata and data collection processes to enable cross-country comparisons and progress assessments over time; reach a global consensus on essential interventions and associated indicators for monitoring emerging priority areas such as child development, chronic conditions, disabilities, and injuries; and implement strategies to increase the uptake of data on child health to improve evidence-based planning, programming, and advocacy efforts.

Revitalizing child health: lessons from the past.

Essential health, education and other service disruptions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic risk reversing some of the hard-won gains in improving child survival over the past 40 years. Although children have milder symptoms of COVID-19 disease than adults, pandemic control measures in many countries have disrupted health, education and other services for children, often leaving them without access to birth and postnatal care, vaccinations and early childhood preventive and treatment services. These disruptions mean that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, along with climate change and shifting epidemiological and demographic patterns, are challenging the survival gains that we have seen over the past 40 years. We revisit the initiatives and actions of the past that catalyzed survival improvements in an effort to learn how to maintain these gains even in the face of today's global challenges.

A call for standardised age-disaggregated health data.

The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda calls for health data to be disaggregated by age. However, age groupings used to record and report health data vary greatly, hindering the harmonisation, comparability, and usefulness of these data, within and across countries. This variability has become especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was an urgent need for rapid cross-country analyses of epidemiological patterns by age to direct public health action, but such analyses were limited by the lack of standard age categories. In this Personal View, we propose a recommended set of age groupings to address this issue. These groupings are informed by age-specific patterns of morbidity, mortality, and health risks, and by opportunities for prevention and disease intervention. We recommend age groupings of 5 years for all health data, except for those younger than 5 years, during which time there are rapid biological and physiological changes that justify a finer disaggregation. Although the focus of this Personal View is on the standardisation of the analysis and display of age groups, we also outline the challenges faced in collecting data on exact age, especially for health facilities and surveillance data. The proposed age disaggregation should facilitate targeted, age-specific policies and actions for health care and disease management.

Global mortality associated with rotavirus disease among children in 2004.

BACKGROUND: As new rotavirus vaccines are being introduced in immunization programs, global and national estimates of disease burden, especially rotavirus-associated mortality, are needed to assess the potential health benefits of vaccination and to monitor vaccine impact. METHODS: We identified 76 studies that were initiated after 1990, lasted at least 1 full year, and examined rotavirus among >100 children hospitalized with diarrhea. The studies were assigned to 5 groups (A-E) with use of World Health Organization classification of countries by child mortality and geography. For each group, the mean rotavirus detection rate was multiplied by diarrhea-related mortality figures from 2004 for countries in that group to yield estimates of rotavirus-associated mortality. RESULTS: Overall, rotavirus accounted for 527,000 deaths (95% confidence interval, 475,000-580,000 deaths) annually or 29% of all deaths due to diarrhea among children <5 years of age. Twenty-three percent of deaths due to rotavirus disease occurred in India, and 6 countries (India, Nigeria, Congo, Ethiopia, China, and Pakistan) accounted for more than one-half of deaths due to rotavirus disease. CONCLUSIONS: The high mortality associated with rotavirus disease underscores the need for targeted interventions, such as vaccines. To realize the full life-saving potential of vaccines, it will be vital to ensure that they reach children in countries with high mortality. These baseline figures will allow future assessment of vaccine impact on rotavirus-associated mortality.

Data Collection Tools for Maternal and Child Health in Humanitarian Emergencies: An Updated Systematic Review.

The worst rates of preventable mortality and morbidity among women and children occur in humanitarian settings. Reliable, easy-to-use, standardized, and efficient tools for data collection are needed to enable different organizations to plan and act in the most effective way. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) commissioned a review of tools for data collection on the health of women and children in humanitarian emergencies. An update of this review was conducted to investigate whether the recommendations made were taken forward and to identify newly developed tools. Fifty-three studies and 5 new tools were identified. Only 1 study used 1 of the tools identified in our search. Little has been done in terms of the previous recommendations. Authors may not be aware of the availability of such tools and of the importance of documenting their data using the same methods as other researchers. Currently used tools may not be suitable for use in humanitarian settings or may not include the domains of the authors' interests. The development of standardized instruments should be done with all key workers in the area and could be coordinated by the WHO.

Limited progress in increasing coverage of neonatal and child-health interventions in Africa and Asia.

The study was conducted to analyze recent trends in the coverage of selected child-survival interventions. A systematic analysis of the coverage of six key child-health interventions in 29 African and Asian countries that had two recent demographic and health surveys--the latest one carried out in 2001 onwards and the immediately preceding survey conducted after 1990--was undertaken. A regression model was used for examining the relationship between the changes in the coverage of interventions and the changes in rates of mortality among children aged less than five years (under-five mortality). A limited increase in the coverage of key child-health interventions occurred in the past 5-10 years in these 29 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. More than half of the countries had no significant improvement or a significant reduction in the coverage of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) for diarrhoea (17/29) and care-seeking for acute respiratory infection (ARI) (16/29). Results of multivariate analysis revealed that increases in the coverage of early initiation of breastfeeding, ORT for diarrhoea, and care-seeking for ARI were significantly associated with reductions in under-five mortality. The results of this analysis should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and programme managers in countries, donors, and international agencies to accelerate efforts to increase the coverage of key child-survival interventions. The following three main actions are proposed: setting of the clear target; mobilization of resources for increasing skilled birth attendants and health workers trained in integrated management of childhood illness; and implementation of community-based approaches.

Estimating child mortality due to diarrhoea in developing countries.

OBJECTIVE: The major objective of this study is to provide estimates of diarrhoea mortality at country, regional and global level by employing the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) standard. METHODS: A systematic and comprehensive literature review was undertaken of all studies published since 1980 reporting under-5 diarrhoea mortality. Information was collected on characteristics of each study and its population. A regression model was used to relate these characteristics to proportional mortality from diarrhoea and to predict its distribution in national populations. FINDINGS: Global deaths from diarrhoea of children aged less than 5 years were estimated at 1.87 million (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.56-2.19), approximately 19% of total child deaths. WHO African and South-East Asia Regions combined contain 78% (1.46 million) of all diarrhoea deaths occurring among children in the developing world; 73% of these deaths are concentrated in just 15 developing countries. CONCLUSION: Planning and evaluation of interventions to control diarrhoea deaths and to reduce under-5 mortality is obstructed by the lack of a system that regularly generates cause-of-death information. The methods used here provide country-level estimates that constitute alternative information for planning in settings without adequate data.

Epidemiology and etiology of childhood pneumonia.

Childhood pneumonia is the leading single cause of mortality in children aged less than 5 years. The incidence in this age group is estimated to be 0.29 episodes per child-year in developing and 0.05 episodes per child-year in developed countries. This translates into about 156 million new episodes each year worldwide, of which 151 million episodes are in the developing world. Most cases occur in India (43 million), China (21 million) and Pakistan (10 million), with additional high numbers in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nigeria (6 million each). Of all community cases, 7-13% are severe enough to be life-threatening and require hospitalization. Substantial evidence revealed that the leading risk factors contributing to pneumonia incidence are lack of exclusive breastfeeding, undernutrition, indoor air pollution, low birth weight, crowding and lack of measles immunization. Pneumonia is responsible for about 19% of all deaths in children aged less than 5 years, of which more than 70% take place in sub-Saharan Africa and south-east Asia. Although based on limited available evidence, recent studies have identified Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and respiratory syncytial virus as the main pathogens associated with childhood pneumonia.

De que morrem as crianças de 5 a 14 anos no estado do Rio de Janeiro? Análise do período 2000-2019 / What do children aged 5 to 14 years die from in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil? Trend analysis of the period 2000-2019

Resumo Objetivou-se investigar a magnitude e a tendência da mortalidade de crianças de 5 a 14 anos por causas, no estado do Rio de Janeiro, de 2000 a 2019. Estudo ecológico de tendência temporal utilizando dados do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM). Calcularam-se taxas de mortalidade por 100 mil crianças, por capítulos, grupos e categorias (CID-10). Estimou-se a série temporal por regressão joinpoint. As taxas de mortalidade de 10 a 14 anos foram superiores às da faixa de 5 a 9 anos. As cinco principais causas foram as mesmas de 5 a 14 anos, com diferente ordem de importância. As duas principais foram causas externas e neoplasias (31% e 15% para 5 a 9 anos; 45% e 11% para 10 a 14 anos). De 5 a 9 anos, a tendência da mortalidade teve declínio anual (8%) entre 2011 e 2015. De 10 a 14 anos, o declínio anual foi 1,3%, de 2000 a 2019. A mortalidade por causas externas decresceu em ambas as faixas, menos para a categoria "Agressão por arma de fogo" (meninos,10-14 anos) e "Afogamento" (meninos, 5-9 anos). A mortalidade por neoplasias ficou estável para todos. Doenças infecciosas e respiratórias decresceram de forma diferenciada entre os grupos. A maioria das causas de morte é evitável ou tratável, apontando necessidade de investimentos em saúde e intersetoriais.

Abstract This study investigated the magnitude and trends of cause-specific mortality among children 5 to 14 years of age in the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ) from 2000 to 2019. We performed an ecological study, using data from the Mortality Information System (MIS). We calculated mortality rates per 100,000 children by chapters, groups, and categories of causes of death (ICD-10). Trends were estimated by joinpoint regression. Mortality rates among children aged 10 to 14 years were higher than those among children 5 to 9. The five leading causes of death were the same in both age groups, but they ranked differently. The two leading ones were external causes and neoplasms (31% and 15% among children aged 5 to 9 years; 45% and 11% among children aged 10 to 14 years). Among children 5 to 9 years, the mortality trend showed an annual decline (8%) from 2011 to 2015. Among children aged 10 to 14 years, the annual decline was 1.3% from 2000 to 2019. Mortality due to external causes decreased in both age groups, except for the category "Assault by unspecified firearm" (boys, 10 to 14 years) and "Unspecified drowning and submersion" (boys, 5 to 9 years). Mortality caused by neoplasms remained steady in both age groups. Infectious and respiratory diseases decreased differently between the two groups. Most causes of death are preventable or treatable, indicating the need for health and intersectoral investments.

Global implementation survey of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI): 20 years on.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the extent to which Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) has been adopted and scaled up in countries. SETTING: The 95 countries that participated in the survey are home to 82% of the global under-five population and account for 95% of the 5.9 million deaths that occurred among children less than 5 years of age in 2015; 93 of them are low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional self-administered survey. Questionnaires and data analysis focused on (1) giving a general overview of current organisation and financing of IMCI at country level, (2) describing implementation of IMCI's three original components and (3) reporting on innovations, barriers and opportunities for expanding access to care for children. A single data file was created using all information collected. Analysis was performed using STATA V.11. PARTICIPANTS: In-country teams consisting of representatives of the ministry of health and country offices of WHO and Unicef. RESULTS: Eighty-one per cent of countries reported that IMCI implementation encompassed all three components. Almost half (46%; 44 countries) reported implementation in 90% or more districts as well as all three components in place (full implementation). These full-implementer countries were 3.6 (95% CI 1.5 to 8.9) times more likely to achieve Millennium Development Goal 4 than other (not full implementer) countries. Despite these high reported implementation rates, the strategy is not reaching the children who need it most, as implementation is lowest in high mortality countries (39%; 7/18). CONCLUSION: This survey provides a unique opportunity to better understand how implementation of IMCI has evolved in the 20 years since its inception. Results can be used to assist in formulating strategies, policies and activities to support improvements in the health and survival of children and to help achieve the health-related, post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.