Six common underlying causes of childhood deaths

A study conducted by the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Network has revealed that the majority of childhood deaths in high-mortality settings are linked to preventable infectious diseases.

The study found that 86.9 per cent of cases involved infections, and more than 82 per cent of the deaths were deemed preventable by expert review panels.

The most common underlying causes included malnutrition, HIV, malaria, congenital birth defects, lower respiratory tract infections, and diarrheal diseases.

The cross-sectional study examined 632 postneonatal deaths (children aged 1–59 months) from seven surveillance sites across sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya and South Asia.

Among the pathogens identified, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Plasmodium falciparum, and Streptococcus pneumoniae were most commonly implicated.

In Kenya, CHAMPS is domiciled at Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Centre for Global Health Research (CGHR) in Kisumu County.