David Taylor-Robinson and colleagues have raised an important question: why the under-5 mortality rate in the UK is lagging behind other developed nations in western Europe. In their letter, they examined the association between childhood poverty levels and mortality rates in children younger than 5 years in developed countries and showed that increases in childhood poverty is a key potential driver behind quite high mortality in this group in the UK; priority needs to be given to improve the welfare of children. Such efforts, together with strict surveillance of childhood mortality and morbidity, even in developed nations as Philippa Rees and colleagues suggested, will surely help to further reduce under-5 mortality rate in developed nations, such as the UK.
展开▼
