WHO Guideline on mass drug administration of azithromycin to children under five years of age to promote child survival

Overview

About 5.3 million children under the age of five died in 20181. Most of these deaths occurred in low income countries, with the highest risk of death in sub-Saharan Africa (69 deaths per 1000 live births). Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 aims to end all preventable deaths of newborns and children under the age of five by 2030, with all countries aiming to reduce under-five mortality to at least as low as 25 deaths per 1000 live births. In contrast, 2018 estimates of child mortality for sub-Saharan Africa stand at 78 per 1000 live births. There is a need to identify simple, feasible and cost-effective interventions to reduce child mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).