Child mortality is the death of children under the age of five (Here we are considering 1-4 years old). In this article we are concentrating on "Child Mortality Rate (1 to 4 Years)- Afghanistan".
On the keen observation of the mortality plot we find that initial years 1967 - 1977 the mortality rate was almost steady or we can say there is slight elevation in plot that means the figure was worsening.
In 1978, the Saur Revolution took place. That revolution led to a continues war and poverty in the region, which began with the closure of borders and suspension of political ties between Afghanistan and its southern and western neighbors (Pakistan and Iran). Many Afghans, especially the elite class who did not want to be involved in the conflict, began escaping from the country in order to reside in other countries. Which led to the sudden decrease in total head counts and consequently it reflected in sudden drop in number of child mortality.
Those leaving included most of the doctors and nurses, and this was really challenging. By 1992, when a major civil war began in Kabul, nearly all doctors and nurses had immigrated to other countries. It had worse effect on the healthcare sector.
Due to lack of healthcare providers and services the child death increased. Same can be seen in the plot also, with the increase in mortality of Child near 1992, which continued till 2000.
Things took a turn in late 2001 when the United Nations decided to rebuild Afghanistan and resolve its political issues. In 2003, there were 11 physicians and 18 nurses per 100,000 population, and the per capita health expenditure was $28 US dollars. The nation had one medical facility for every 27,000 people in 2004, and some centers were responsible for as many as 300,000 people. The effect of reviving condition of healthcare sector can be seen clearly with the reduction in child mortality.
Data source : UNICEF