Poverty. Its the largest determinant of life projection.

The famous writer Eli Khamarov

asserted Poverty is like a punishment for a crime you didnt commit. Living a life in abject
indigence is one of the worst predicaments a human being, much less a child, can be bestowed.
Children who tragically die before they reach the age of 1, or children who cant afford the
simplest of education dont deserve this hardship and didnt ask to live this sort of life, yet, they
serve their time.
Causes of High Infant Mortality
Its hard to believe in todays world, with its great advancements in science and in
medicine, that high infant mortality rates are still prevalent in many regions around the world.
Countries like Afghanistan and Sierra Leone both have a death rate of about 140 per 1000 live
births, one of the highest in the world (Top). What do both of these countries have in common
you ask? Well, both Afghanistan and Sierra Leone dont have the money for public health
spending. Economic and government incompetence is one of the primary reasons for high infant
mortality rates. When countries cant afford to treat their unhealthy babies, its the children who
pay the price. For example, a country with a high gdp will most likely have a low infant
mortality rate, while countries with low gdp will probably have higher infant mortality rates.
This even applies to the U.S.of A. States that spend more on public health, like Minnesota for
example, have lower infant mortality rates compared to states that dont spend as much on public
health. When determining possible causes of high infant mortality rates, this one doesnt readily
come to mind, yet it can play a big role. Culture. In some cultures, specifically in Kenya,
professional medical treatment is rejected and traditional healers are sought after whenever a
child is thought to be suffering from an illness (Opwora). Traditional healers use herbal and
spiritual remedies in an attempt to cure the child of whatever it is theyre suffering from,

however, this fails to have any effect. Kenyas dependence on traditional healers definitely stunts
its progress in lowering its infant mortality rates. Moving away from that illogical thinking and
towards actual professional treatment requires a conscientious effort and an education.
Causes of Lack of Education
The significance of an education can not be overstated yet, throughout the world, its
becoming more and more difficult for a child to receive one. An education undoubtedly betters
an individuals life. Its also been known to mitigate community-wide issues. In fact, I had the
privilege of interviewing Biswajit Ghosh, a senior Professor of Sociology at the University of
Burdwan in Burdwan, India. He informed me of the time he suggested to the government of
West Bengal to introduce a compulsory class in 2007 that would teach students a variety of
gender crimes and ways to prevent them. After its implementation, there have been many
instances where child marriages and trafficking were prevented due to adolescents being taught
to report. But despite, its advantages, a childs right to an education is constantly threatened.
Internal conflicts within a country, such as wars, drug deals, and weak economies, can really get
in the way of a childs schooling. In the case of wars and drug deals, schools are consistently
targeted by drug dealers and warlords looking to extort children for various reasons that include
warfare and muling. Weak economies can also cause a lack of education. Countries that cant
afford to teach its children produce schools that are inadequate. According to Elizabeth Ross,
whos involved in an NGO at educating children in Uganda, over 70% of Ugandas class of 2012
dropped out before graduation (Ross). As a result of the poor education provided by developing
countries, parents see employment as a more valuable alternative for their children instead of
receiving a worthless education, but all that does is it perpetuates the lack of education
epidemic in areas where its most needed.

Although the causes that I presented of high infant mortality rates and lack of education seem
absolutely impossible to solve, there are ways to reduce or alleviate the problems, or maybe, just
even end the problem entirely. I now leave you with Michael Hilken and his take on possible
solutions to the issues weve discussed thus far.