Surveys in eight countries on child mortality completed

7th  August 2010, Barcelona - Eight surveys commissioned in early 2009 by the GMC have been recently completed. The surveys focused on examining middles classes and influencers’ attitudes toward the issue of child mortality. After several months of intense interviewing, a substantial portion of material has been collected for analysis. Findings will serve as the foundations for communications effort within the framework of the GMC child survival campaign expected to kick off in the run – up to the September MGDs Summit in New York.

Since early 2009, TNS Gallup staff members conducted 8000 interviews in eight countries: India, Cambodia, Zambia, Ethiopia, Mali, Kenya, Nigeria and Bolivia. The interviews were conducted face to face with middle classes representatives and influencers (politicians, policy-makers, respected and recognised individuals).

Over the past years middle classes have considerably gained protagonism in many developing countries. Generally aloof to their potential, they have remained relatively passive on some key social and economic problems affecting their countries. Capitalizing on that untapped potential gives governments a chance to reduce currently high child mortality rates significantly in the future. With these surveys, the GMC aimed at measuring middle classes’ awareness of child mortality rates and willingness to take action. Likewise, the surveys endeavoured to examine influencers’ level of commitment to slashing high child mortality numbers and to determine their preferred way of involvement.

After 10 years of policy and programme efforts since the Millennium Development Goals were established, progress has been made towards the achievement of a two thirds reduction of child mortality. However, the rate of decline in under-five mortality is clearly insufficient to reach the goal by 2015. Equally importantly, child mortality is increasingly concentrated: recent data indicate that approx. 75% of child deaths occur in only 18 countries. India and Nigeria together account for nearly one third of the total number of child deaths worldwide. Therefore, the GMC encouraged social mobilization campaigns, in countries where the problem is most serious, to galvanize public opinion in order to push for a redoubling of efforts to reduce child mortality.

The polls were commissioned in early 2009 to TNS Gallup to support and provide solid material for the GMC’s child survival campaign. A global report encompassing final conclusions will be released in the coming months.