Child Mortality Rate Halved (But It's Still Not Enough)

Photo: Reuters, Joseph Okanga

Since 1990, the mortality rate of children under the age of five has been cut by 53%. This is a great achievement, but not enough. Around 16,000 children under five still die each day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), have of deaths for children under five occur within the first four weeks of live, underscoring the importance of neonatal health to address health risks such as asphyxia and sepsis, as well as maternal health during and after pregnancy to address breastfeeding and early immunizations.


The Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), which expire this year, aimed to cut the death rate by two-thirds. Though this goal was not met, I think that we can learn lessons from halving the rate. Though perhaps overly ambitious in scope, the MDGs gave the research, academic, and policies communities a goal. Using lessons from the past 25 years of the MDGS, we need to develop a new set of goals so that we can address the unnecessary and tragic deaths of our young children.

"Voluntourism" and Child Welfare

A new report from Better Care Network reviews and shares existing knowledge on

international "voluntourism" as related to the alternative care of children (e.g., orphanages) in developing countries. This is a very interesting "hot" topic, especially for those of you who have worked or are interested in working with children in global contexts. In fact, the Better Care Network website has some really great resources on this topic. (I find this advertisement slightly amusing, as it initially implies one could "win a youth".)

Ontario Child Welfare Resources

The Child Welfare League of Canada has some great information about vulnerable children in Canada. They don't accept individual memberships, but you can sign up for their newsletter to stay updated on child welfare activities.

OACAS recently announced the official launch of the Ontario Child Welfare Research Framework website. The website provides a brief overview of the legal and theoretical contexts for child welfare research in Ontario, as well as key research principles, datasets, methodologies, and ethical guidelines.

What Really Happened to Baby Johan?

One of the most read articles this month is What really happened to baby Johan?, written by Elizabeth Weil in Matter.

It's the story of a father who dropped his three-month-old son, which became a criminal case. The article highlights the complexities and controversies of child welfare.

Manitoba to Spend More Money on Child Welfare

The province of Manitoba says it will spend more money to keep children who are wards of the province within their communities. There is an excellent interview on CBC's As It Happens (click on Part 2 to listen). I would be interested to know if you think this is a good use of money for child welfare in the province.