LAGOS — The world has slashed child mortality rates over the past few decades, a triumph of human ingenuity and market-driven innovation in healthcare, nutrition, and sanitation. Yet, according to the latest data from Our World in Data, progress is stalling, with Sub-Saharan Africa bearing the brunt of preventable tragedies. In 2021, malaria alone killed over 125,000 children under five in Nigeria—340 deaths daily, one every four minutes. For Libertas Ezine readers, this isn’t just a statistic; it’s a glaring indictment of bureaucratic inertia and centralized aid programs that prioritize control over results.

Our World in Data reports that child mortality—the death rate of children under five—has plummeted in most wealthy nations, halving in the last 30 years. This progress stems from decentralized systems: private healthcare innovations, clean water technologies, and nutritional advancements driven by market incentives. But in Sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria accounts for one-third of under-five deaths globally, the story is different. Nigeria, the epicenter of this crisis, sees children die from a disease that’s both preventable and treatable with tools like bed nets, timely medication, and safe living conditions.

Why the failure? The answer lies in the tangled web of government-led aid and international organizations that Libertas readers know all too well. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization notes that hunger, a key driver of child mortality, persists for nearly one in ten people globally, exacerbated by pandemic-era disruptions. Meanwhile, foreign aid—often touted as the solution—gets bogged down in administrative bloat. In many countries, a chunk of aid budgets is spent domestically on refugee hosting, scholarships, or overhead, not on delivering bed nets or antimalarials to Nigerian villages. Most governments, including the UK, fall short of the UN’s 0.7% gross national income aid target, and recent cuts signal even less commitment.

Contrast this with the potential of markets. Measles vaccination, a private-sector success story, saves over 94 million lives by protecting 80% of one-year-olds globally with a 95% effective jab. But vaccination rates are slipping, and malaria solutions lag because centralized systems can’t match the efficiency of profit-driven innovation. Imagine if Nigerian entrepreneurs were unshackled to distribute bed nets or develop local treatments, free from the red tape of NGOs and government permits. Migrants already send back three times more money than global foreign aid, proving individuals outperform bureaucracies in resource allocation.

The data is clear: malaria’s grip on Africa persists because tools aren’t reaching those who need them. Our World in Data’s Max Roser argues progress is possible, pointing to malaria’s elimination in other regions. But Libertas readers know the real fix isn’t more UN resolutions or taxpayer-funded programs—it’s unleashing markets to deliver solutions. Child mortality is a proxy for living conditions; Nigeria’s crisis reflects overregulated economies and aid dependency, not a lack of know-how.

A libertarian approach would empower local innovators, cut transaction costs on remittances, and slash barriers to private healthcare. Instead, we get endless reports from the World Health Organization and half-hearted aid pledges. Australians, fresh off a robust 4.1% unemployment rate and a growing labor market, know the power of economic freedom. It’s time to extend that lesson globally. Let’s stop waiting for bureaucrats to save Nigeria’s children and bet on liberty to get the job done.web:ABS
Sources: Our World in Data, Australian Bureau of Statistics