UN cites 'vast' disparity in Nairobi child death rates

The World Health Organisation is citing child death rates in rich and poor parts of Nairobi as an illustration of “vast” health inequities within developing countries.

In its annual World Health Report released earlier this week, the United Nations agency notes that the under-five mortality rate is 17 times higher in a slum area of Kenya's capital than in an affluent section of the city.

The death rate for children under five in Embakasi is 254 per thousand, the UN says, compared to less than 15 per thousand in what it terms “the high-income area of Nairobi,” which is not further identified in the report.

This example shows that “within developing countries, the best local governance can help produce 75 years or more of life expectancy; with poor urban governance, life expectancy can be as low as 35 years,” the report says.

In 2006, according to UN data, Kenya had the 43^rd highest child mortality rate in the world. About 104 of every 1000 children in Kenya die prior to age 5.

Kenya's overall health-adjusted life expectancy stands at 44.4 years, which is also the median figure for countries that spend less than $100 per capita for health care, the UN study notes. Germany's adjusted life expectancy is 71 years – the median for countries spending more than $2500 per capita.

Health-adjusted life expectancy is defined as the average number of years a person can expect to live in “full health.”

The gap in life span between rich and poor is widening globally, the UN report adds. It says that someone born in a high-income country can now expect to live as much as 40 years longer than a person born in a very poor country.