THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA’S COMBINED REPORT ON THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN & PEOPLES’ RIGHTS & INITIAL REPORT ON THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA The number of children who died before reaching their 5th birthday decreased from 89 per 1 000 live births to 54 per 1 000 live births in 2009-2013 Neonatal mortality rate (NMR) Data available shows this to be 22 per 1,000 live births. The number is reached by dividing total live births and number of children who die during the first 28 days of life, multiplied by 1 000. Neonatal mortality per 1 000 live births 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2009-2013 2004-2008 1998-2003 Figure Neonatal mortality per 1 000 live births From the figures provided, in comparison with other countries in the sub-Saharan region, childhood mortality is relatively low in The Gambia. Under-5 mortality for the period 0-4 years before the 2013 GDHS survey, which corresponds approximately to the calendar years 2009-2013, is 54 deaths per 1,000 births. Following the usual pattern, most of the early childhood mortality occurs in the first year of life; the infant mortality is 34 deaths per 1,000 births, while mortality between the first and the fifth birthday is 20 deaths per 1,000. As expected, neonatal mortality (mortality during the first month) is higher than post neonatal mortality (22 deaths per 1,000 compared with 12 deaths per 1,000), representing 65 per cent of the overall infant mortality. Data from Registration of Birth and Death Unit shows that from the 2018 HMIS the infant mortality rate is 1.95% and the maternal mortality rate is 2.38%. 30