Targeting vulnerability; differentiating mortality risk to improve child survival

Despite remarkable reductions in child mortality globally, more than 5 million children continue to die annually. Most of these deaths occur in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Current global recommendations targeting the care of ill children frequently target children based on the type of illness that they present with and do not adequately differentiate children according to their underlying level of mortality risk. Children at highest risk of mortality are often not recognized as such, and opportunities to reduce mortality risks are overlooked. Children at low risk of mortality are often provided with more intensive care than needed, further straining already overburdened health systems. Novel methods to risk differentiate children and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of management are needed to further impact child mortality in LMIC settings.