The Impact of the Food and Financial Crises on Child Mortality: The case of Sub-Saharan Africa

The years 2000-2007 witnessed an average decline in under 5 mortality rates (U5MR) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faster than that recorded during the prior two decades, including in countries with high HIV prevalence rates due to the spread of preventative and curative measures. Despite their gravity, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of the 2008-2009 crises on child mortality is still lacking, and estimates of the number of additional child deaths caused by the crises in SSA vary enormously.