The public health community recently received some great news about child mortality rates, as reported by the New York Times: the child mortality rate, the number of deaths per 1,000 children under the age of five, has dropped 28% since 1990 according to a new report published by UNICEF.

It is extraordinary to see that, even in the most resource constrained environments, progress is being made in protecting children.

UNICEF suggests that the decrease can be attributed to several low cost health interventions, including: immunizations, bed nets and Vitamin A supplements.

Both the NY Times article and the UNICEF press release focused on the accomplishments of Malawi in reducing child mortality. In particular, they highlighted the use of trained community health workers that can reach the community more effectively that can far away and scarce doctors and nurses.

To me, this report highlights the importance of simple, low cost and fundamentally local solutions to public health problems. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding, in a timely manner, the impact of public health interventions and of the changing public health landscape.