Child mortality on the rise – Healthcare Economist

Some disturbing statistics released recently Wolf et al (2023) using Date CDC WONDER:

Between 2019 and 2020, the all-cause mortality rate for ages 1-19 increased by 10.7%, and between 2020 and 2022 it increased by another 8.3%. progress in reducing child mortality. While most of the increase in child mortality was attributable to older child deaths (10–19 years old), all-cause mortality among young children (1–9 years old) also increased in 2021 (by 8.4%).

There are also significant differences in which groups were affected by increased mortality rates.

The increase in injury deaths that occurred in 2020 mostly affected men … non-Hispanic black youth accounted for two-thirds (62.9%) of homicide victims between the ages of 10 and 19; in 2021, the homicide rate among non-Hispanic black youth aged 10 to 19 was 6 times higher than that of Hispanic youth and more than 20 times higher than non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander and white youth.

Moreover, gun violence has increased:

Firearms … are the leading cause of death among young people aged 1 to 19 and account for nearly half (47.8%) of the increase in all-cause deaths in 2020.

Some very sobering statistics.