Poor kids are 3.2 times more likely to die than rich kids

Children in the urban area are dying quicker than the rich kids, according to a survey conducted in Delhi. The survey proved that global under-five mortality rate has cut down by half from 90 to 46 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2013 and the success story includes India. During same period, the country has recorded decline of 54.4 % as against global process of 44.8 percent, according to the report "The Urban Disadvantage", prepared by NGO Save the Children.

The urban child survival gap between the rich and the poor urban kids in 36 developing countries shows that, in the age group 0-5 years, the urban poor are 3.2 times more likely to die compared with the urban rich in Delhi, according to the report. It also states that the quality of life of mothers and children in the urban slums of Delhi is one of the worst city in the world and the health inequity between the rich and the poor is stark.

Union Minister Najma Heptullah said that "We used to feel that more children are not being taken care of in rural areas. But this report proves otherwise”. She said that the health of urban children was an important issue as by 2030 a significant amount of population will be moving to cities. People living in slums and congested areas face a lot of health issues due to poor sanitation and congestion.

Rwanda, Cambodia, Kenya, Vietnam, Peru, India, Madagascar, Ghana, Bangladesh and Nigeria are the countries showing the greatest survival divide between wealthy and poor urban children.

The reasons for this could be many but proper remedies must be taken to decrease the gap between the life of mothers and children as everyone has a fair chance to survive and fulfil their potential.

By Lizitha