Drowning, suffocation leading causes of child death: UN

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Posted online: Friday , March 14, 2008 at 10:19:47
Updated: Friday , March 14, 2008 at 10:41:20

New York, March 14: Injuries resulting from drowning, suffocation and road accidents are among the leading killers of Asian children, a new study shows.

The study, conducted jointly by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Alliance for Safe Children (ASC), found that risk of death from injuries rises after infancy as children become independent and danger from infectious and non-communicable diseases decreases.

"If we are ultimately going to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to reduce child mortality, it is imperative that we take action to address the causes of childhood injury," said Anupama Rao Singh, Regional Director of UNICEF East Asia and Pacific, calling for increased investment in public awareness campaigns and arming children and their parents with knowledge and skills.

Working in partnership with local public health teams, in-person interviews for the study were done in over half a million households, comprising more than 2 million people in five countries: Bangladesh, China, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

The causes of death and disability among a representative sample of all children up to 18 years of age were reliably recorded for the first time ever in these nations, UNICEF said.

The study found that the causes of injuries differ by age group. Infants under 12 months are not as exposed to injury, while toddlers between one and four years of age are at the greatest risk of drowning.

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