Complications related to prematurity, birth asphyxia, or infections caused the partly preventable deaths of 75,647 children before their fifth birthday in Europe and Central Asia in 2022, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) published on February 25.
Congenital heart defects and neonatal sepsis (septicemia) are also among the top five causes of death, according to the study, which covered 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia, including the 27 EU countries, with a population of 930 million. Many infants and children still die unnecessarily before the age of five", writes WHO Europe in its three-year review published on Tuesday.
“ In some countries, under-five mortality, and even maternal mortality, is stagnating, increasing or reversing (…) this is not the time to rest on one's laurels" said Natasha Muscat, a public health official at the agency, during an online press conference.
While the under-five mortality rate remains very low in Europe, the gaps between the highest and lowest-ranked countries are considerable. For example, most European Union countries have between 1.5 and 4.1 deaths per 1,000 births, compared to Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, where the rate is between 18.2 and 40.4. Reducing this gap remains a challenge", the agency writes.
The region, which is home to some of the strongest health systems in the world, is stagnating or even regressing on a range of indicators, particularly in the health of children and adolescents, the WHO points out.
“New and evolving threats”
Other issues related to the health of children and adolescents cloud the picture: one in five adolescents suffers from a mental disorder, suicide remains the leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29, with girls consistently reporting lower levels of mental well-being than boys.
“ Our young people face new and evolving threats", noted WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge during the press briefing. 15% of adolescents report having been victims of cyberbullying, one in ten adolescents aged 13 to 15 uses tobacco and nearly one in three children of school age is overweight, with one in eight obese.
The organization has launched a consultation with the 53 member states to define priorities and actions to be taken over the next five years. According to Mr. Kluge, reform is urgent because not only do viruses not respect borders, but Europe's population is aging—the proportion of seniors (over 65) is higher than that of those under 15—and its lifestyle (obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption) is causing concern.
“ The European region must be bold and innovative in its efforts to build healthier and more stable societies, but it must also realize that health security is essential to national and international security." he said, noting that our health systems were no better prepared for health emergencies than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
English 
French