Kampala has made significant strides in saving the lives of children despite rapid urban growth.
This is according to the 16th annual State of the World’s Mothers (SOWM) report released by charity organisation, Save the Children.
The report titled “The Urban Disadvantage” shows that in Kampala under- age five mortality declined at an average rate of seven percent in the space of six years, from 94 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2006 to 65 in 2011. This is despite the fact that Kampala hosts a large number of refugees mostly from the Democratic Republic Congo and South Sudan.
The report indicates that this is the fastest decline seen among the 50 cities surveyed around the world and the fastest seen in any capital city in Africa.
Kampala is closely followed by the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
Other cities that are making significant strides include Guatemala City, Manila (Philippines); Phnom Penh (Cambodia); and Cairo (Egypt).
In a press release, the Health Advisor Save the Children Dr. Sarah Naikoba says this is evident that Kampala and Addis Ababa have achieved relative success in narrowing the child survival gap between the urban rich and poor.
She attributes this to the strengthening of health systems, making healthcare more affordable to poor urban families, as well as providing life-saving interventions such as immunization, vitamin supplements, among others.
