Infant mortality rate is among the factors that
account for the measurement of a nation’s
Infant mortality rate is among the factors that
account for the measurement of a nation’s
TEXT
The global mortality rate for children
younger than 5 has dropped by nearly half since
1990, the United Nations said Tuesday in an annual
report on progress aimed at ensuring child survival,
but the decline still falls short of meeting the
organization’s goal of a two-thirds reduction by next
year. Without accelerated improvements in reducing
health risks to young children, the report said, that
goal will not be reached until 2026, 11 years behind
schedule.
Nearly all of the countries with the highest
mortality rates are in Africa, the report said, and two
countries that are among the world’s most populous
— India and Nigeria — account for nearly a third of
all deaths among children younger than 5.
A collaboration of Unicef, other United
Nations agencies and the World Bank, the report
provides a barometer of health care and nutrition in
every country. A child mortality rate can be a potent
indicator of other elements in a country’s basic
quality of life.
The report showed that the mortality rate
for children younger than 5, the most vulnerable
period, fell to 46 deaths per 1,000 live births last
year, from 90 per 1,000 births in 1990. It also
showed that the gap in mortality rates between the
richest and poorest households had fallen in all
regions over most of the past two decades, except
for sub-Saharan Africa.
The report attributed much of the progress
to broad interventions over the years against leading
infectious diseases in some of the most impoverished
regions, including immunizations and the use of
insecticide-treated mosquito nets, as well
improvements in health care to expectant mothers
and in battling the effects of diarrhea and other dehydrating maladies that pose acute risks to the
young.
“There has been dramatic and accelerating
progress in reducing mortality among children, and
the data prove that success is possible even for
poorly resourced countries,” Dr. Mickey Chopra, the
head of global health programs for Unicef, said in a
statement about the report’s conclusions.
Geeta Rao Gupta, Unicef’s deputy executive
director, said, “The data clearly demonstrate that an
infant’s chances of survival increase dramatically
when their mother has sustained access to quality
health care during pregnancy and delivery.”
Despite the advances, from 1990 and 2013,
223 million children worldwide died before their fifth
birthday, a number that the report called
“staggering.” In 2013, the report said, 6.3 million
children younger than 5 died, 200,000 fewer than the
year before. Nonetheless, that is still the equivalent
of about 17,000 child deaths a day, largely
attributable to preventable causes that include
insufficient nutrition; complications during
pregnancy, labor and delivery; pneumonia; diarrhea;
and malaria.
While sub-Saharan Africa has reduced the
under-5 mortality rate by 48 percent since 1990, the
report said, the region still has the world’s highest
rate: 92 deaths per 1,000 live births, nearly 15 times
the average in the most affluent countries. Put
another way, the report said, children born in Angola,
which has the world’s highest rate — 167 deaths per
1,000 live births — are 84 times as likely to die
before they turn 5 as children born in Luxembourg,
with the lowest rate — two per 1,000.
The report noted that “a child’s risk of dying
increases if she or he is born in a remote rural area,
into a poor household or to a mother with no
education.”
From: www.nytimes.com Sept. 16, 2014
TEXT
The global mortality rate for children younger than 5 has dropped by nearly half since 1990, the United Nations said Tuesday in an annual report on progress aimed at ensuring child survival, but the decline still falls short of meeting the organization’s goal of a two-thirds reduction by next year. Without accelerated improvements in reducing health risks to young children, the report said, that goal will not be reached until 2026, 11 years behind schedule.
Nearly all of the countries with the highest mortality rates are in Africa, the report said, and two countries that are among the world’s most populous — India and Nigeria — account for nearly a third of all deaths among children younger than 5.
A collaboration of Unicef, other United Nations agencies and the World Bank, the report provides a barometer of health care and nutrition in every country. A child mortality rate can be a potent indicator of other elements in a country’s basic quality of life.
The report showed that the mortality rate for children younger than 5, the most vulnerable period, fell to 46 deaths per 1,000 live births last year, from 90 per 1,000 births in 1990. It also showed that the gap in mortality rates between the richest and poorest households had fallen in all regions over most of the past two decades, except for sub-Saharan Africa.
The report attributed much of the progress to broad interventions over the years against leading infectious diseases in some of the most impoverished regions, including immunizations and the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, as well improvements in health care to expectant mothers and in battling the effects of diarrhea and other dehydrating maladies that pose acute risks to the young.
“There has been dramatic and accelerating progress in reducing mortality among children, and the data prove that success is possible even for poorly resourced countries,” Dr. Mickey Chopra, the head of global health programs for Unicef, said in a statement about the report’s conclusions.
Geeta Rao Gupta, Unicef’s deputy executive director, said, “The data clearly demonstrate that an infant’s chances of survival increase dramatically when their mother has sustained access to quality health care during pregnancy and delivery.”
Despite the advances, from 1990 and 2013, 223 million children worldwide died before their fifth birthday, a number that the report called “staggering.” In 2013, the report said, 6.3 million children younger than 5 died, 200,000 fewer than the year before. Nonetheless, that is still the equivalent of about 17,000 child deaths a day, largely attributable to preventable causes that include insufficient nutrition; complications during pregnancy, labor and delivery; pneumonia; diarrhea; and malaria.
While sub-Saharan Africa has reduced the under-5 mortality rate by 48 percent since 1990, the report said, the region still has the world’s highest rate: 92 deaths per 1,000 live births, nearly 15 times the average in the most affluent countries. Put another way, the report said, children born in Angola, which has the world’s highest rate — 167 deaths per 1,000 live births — are 84 times as likely to die before they turn 5 as children born in Luxembourg, with the lowest rate — two per 1,000.
The report noted that “a child’s risk of dying increases if she or he is born in a remote rural area, into a poor household or to a mother with no education.”
From: www.nytimes.com Sept. 16, 2014
level of education.
economic growth.
democratic policies.
quality of life.
Gabarito comentado
Tema central: A questão exige interpretação de texto, focando em indicadores sociais internacionais, para identificar o que a taxa de mortalidade infantil representa no contexto de um país.
Análise do texto e conceitos-chave
Ao longo do texto, o relatório destaca a tendência de queda na mortalidade infantil e enfatiza sua importância como termômetro das condições básicas de vida de uma sociedade, relacionando-a a fatores como saúde, acesso a nutrição, cuidados à gestante e nível socioeconômico: "A child mortality rate can be a potent indicator of other elements in a country’s basic quality of life."
Justificativa da alternativa correta – D) qualidade de vida:
A expressão "quality of life" traduz-se por qualidade de vida e é largamente reconhecida em manuais de inglês para concursos como o conceito relacionado à mortalidade infantil (veja Gramática da Língua Inglesa para Concursos - William Roberto Cereja). Os organismos internacionais, como a ONU e a OCDE, classificam a taxa de mortalidade infantil como um dos principais indicadores da qualidade de vida de uma população—resumindo fatores de saúde, educação, nutrição e saneamento.
Análise das alternativas incorretas:
- A) nível de educação: Embora a educação materna influencie a mortalidade infantil (mencionada no texto), o índice é consequência e não uma medida direta do nível educacional de um país.
- B) crescimento econômico: Crescimento econômico e mortalidade infantil podem estar relacionados, mas a taxa não mensura esse aspecto de forma isolada. O texto reforça a ligação com aspectos básicos da vida.
- C) políticas democráticas: O texto não discute regime político e esse item não é um uso consagrado do índice de mortalidade infantil.
Estratégias para provas:
Atente-se a palavras-chave próximas ao conceito cobrado (neste caso, “quality of life”) e evite associações apressadas com outros conceitos (educação, economia ou política), mesmo que indiretamente ligados. Questões de inglês frequentemente testam a relação de indicadores sociais internacionais, portanto familiarize-se com seus significados.
Conclusão: A alternativa D) qualidade de vida está correta, porque reflete exatamente o uso consagrado da taxa de mortalidade infantil, segundo o texto e conforme diretrizes de organismos oficiais.
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