While many might not think there is a connection between child mortality and literacy, there most certainly is. In fact, a closer look at the link between literacy and child mortality indicates that the more educated a woman is, the higher the chance of her baby’s survival.

Global Child Mortality and Literacy

Child mortality refers to the number of children that die before reaching age 5 per every 1,000 live births. This issue is prevalent to some degree everywhere around the world, but some regions have higher rates of child mortality than others. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), global child mortality rates have significantly improved since 1990, reducing from 93 per 1,000 live births to 37 in 2020.

In terms of global literacy, the ability to read and write, today the rate stands at 87% in comparison to 12% in 1820. However, strong regional disparities still exist — countries in sub-Saharan Africa still have the lowest literacy rates. For instance, in Mali, literacy rates decreased to 31% in 2020 due to the disruption of conflicts. Additionally, South Sudan’s literacy rate stood at 35% and Afghanistan noted a 37% rate.

The Link

According to research from the Harvard Kennedy School, when a woman can read and write, her child has a 36% higher chance of living past the age of 5 than if the mother was illiterate. In fact, when mothers receive a basic education (six years of schooling and the ability to read and write), child mortality rates drop 68%. Furthermore, for women in this same study with no education whatsoever, “38.5% have had a child die.”

Unfortunately, many individuals in developing countries do not receive a quality education even if they complete many years of schooling. An Annual Status of Education Report assessing students aged 14 to 18 in rural India found that even though “[more than] 80[%] had completed grade 8, roughly half or less could do simple division, calculate how much a price discount of 10[%]would save them, follow simple instructions or understood measuring length with a ruler.”

Many developing countries do not have the funds to pay for high-skilled educators, training and quality educational materials, which leads to a subpar classroom experience. This creates a cycle: when the quality of education is low, families become reluctant to use their minimal resources to send their children to school, leading to another generation of uneducated people. Still, attending school has proven to be beneficial in the sense of lowering child mortality.

Women and the Effects of Schooling

Education empowers women in developing countries by giving them the tools and knowledge to make informed choices throughout their lives. But, research also shows that attending school, aside from just the knowledge one attains, also helps women to build social networks, which is very important in empowering women.

An educated woman understands how to take care of herself and her unborn baby during pregnancy and knows how to detect early warning signs of complications so that she may seek assistance from a health care professional.

Education also increases women’s bargaining power within their own houses, which, in turn, decreases their risk of domestic violence and helps improve the quality of life of the women and children.

Despite various issues with education in developing countries, there are still many benefits women receive from an education. These benefits directly correlate with higher chances of survival for their children, showing a link between literacy and child mortality.

– Evelyn Breitbach
Photo: Flickr