Maternal and Child Health | Report

Running Head: MHC 0
MATERNAL AND CHILD
HEALTH
[Document subtitle]
FEBRUARY 29, 2020

MHC 1
Table of Contents
Child mortality........................................................................................................... 2
Immunization coverage............................................................................................. 2
Maternal deaths....................................................................................................... 2
Health gaps............................................................................................................ 3
Steps to be taken...................................................................................................... 3
References................................................................................................................ 4

MHC 2
Child mortality
It has been reported that particularly in 2018, around 5. 3 million children under the
age of 5 died. The risk of kids dying under 5 years of age is still highest in the African region
and around eight times higher compared to the European region. In 2018, the mortality rate
reported above 100 deaths every 1000 live birth. However, these stats are decreased by 59
percent (Dowell et al., 2019). On the other hand, in Saudi Arabia, under-five mortality rates
were 7.1 per 1000 live births, which means 4,244 children died in 2018. Between 1999 to
2018 the mortality was declined from 23.5 to 7.1 (Salam & Al-Khraif, 2020).
Immunization coverage
Immunization to infants and children under age 5 has been increased in las few years.
In 2018, around 116 million children were vaccinated against diseases like diphtheria,
tetanus, and pertussis. However, millions of kids are still not receiving the immunization. It
has been reported that vaccine coverage is currently higher than 80 percent. According to a
nationwide survey conducted against life-threatening diseases identified that among all 1102
kids around 86 percent of children had complete immunization and 14 had partially
immunization. Particularly in 2016 around 89. 7 percent of kids were fully immunized
(Alrowaili et al., 2019).
Maternal deaths
According to a report published by UNICEF, the mortality rates from 2000 to 2017
reduced by 38 percent. This indicates the death reduced from 342 to 211 expiries per 100000
live births. The lifetime risk of maternal expiry in developed countries is one in 5400 than
low-income countries where 1 woman died every 45 live births (MacDonald, 2019). In Saudi
Arabia, particularly in 2017, the mortality rates were 17 death per 100000 live births.