Study Reveals Most Child Deaths in Africa Are Preventable

By Waihiga K. Muturi, Rtn.

The heartfealt story of Mama Baraka, a Kenyan mother who lost her 4-year-old son in 2024, has touched hearts across the country. Her TikTok videos detailing her son’s painful medical journey, from liver transplant to his tragic passing, have garnered over half a million views. But beyond the grief, her story sheds light on a much larger crisis: Africa’s soaring, yet largely preventable, child mortality rate.

A recent study by the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) network, conducted under the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), has revealed that 86.9% of child deaths aged 1–59 months are infection-related, and over 82% of those deaths are preventable. The study spanned across seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, including Kenya’s Kisumu and Siaya counties.

Dr. Victor Akelo, a CHAMPS lead researcher, emphasized the significance of these findings. “We’re using a tool called Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS), which allows us to find the cause of death without full autopsies. This approach is helping us understand how to better respond,” he said.

The research identified malnutrition, HIV, malaria, respiratory infections, and diarrheal diseases as leading causes. Worryingly, many of the fatal infections, particularly from Klebsiella pneumoniae, Plasmodium falciparum, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, were found to be hospital-acquired, pointing to poor infection control in healthcare settings.

“Some of these children are dying from infections they picked up inside hospitals,” Dr. Akelo warned. “Improved hygiene and infection prevention protocols are urgently needed.”

Paediatricians like Dr. Isaac Kihurani of Aga Khan University Hospital witness this crisis firsthand. “Even when you do your best, it’s devastating to lose a child—especially when the cause was preventable,” he said. Dr. Aura Nzinga adds that post-mortems and debriefs help teams learn from losses and improve systems.

The report calls for expanded access to malaria prevention tools, maternal HIV programs, and widespread implementation of infection control measures across facilities—especially in rural areas, where child deaths remain highest.

While the death of Brylejones Baraka remains a personal tragedy, his story highlights a national and continental emergency. Experts insist the solutions are clear, but now it's up to policymakers to act.

“Research has given us the roadmap. But we need the will and resources to follow it.” said Dr. Akelo