The extent to which conflict matters to child mortality therefore remains largely unmeasured beyond specific conflicts. 5- 7 The Global Burden of Disease estimates that, since 1994, conflicts caused less than 0.4% of under-5 deaths in Africa, raising questions about the role of conflict in the global epidemiology of child mortality. 4 With few notable exceptions, such as the Rwanda genocide or the ongoing Syrian Civil War, conflicts have not had clear reflections in national child mortality trends. 3 At the same time, national child mortality rates continue to decline, even in highly conflict-prone countries such as Angola or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 1, 2 A recent review estimates that deaths of non-combatants outnumber deaths of those directly involved in the conflict, often more than five-to-one. While young children are rarely direct combatants in armed conflict, the violent and destructive nature of such events might harm vulnerable populations residing in conflict-affected areas. The extent to which armed conflicts – events such as civil wars, rebellions, and interstate conflicts – are an important driver of child mortality is unclear.
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