About 600 children and young people in New Zealand, aged between 28 days and 24 years, die each year. Some of these deaths are preventable.
The Child & Youth Mortality Review Committee advises the Health Quality & Safety Commission on how to reduce the number of these preventable deaths. It does this by:
- monitoring the number and types of deaths that occur among New Zealand children and young people over time
- providing education about how mortality reviews are useful
- encouraging the establishment and nationwide coordination of local child and youth mortality review groups
- interacting with community and organisational networks
- collecting information from all relevant sources that will identify ways to prevent deaths both locally and nationally
- conducting investigations into particular types of child and youth deaths
- producing an annual report for the Commission outlining data and making recommendations for actions that will reduce child and youth deaths in New Zealand
- advocating for any improvement of health and social services for children and young people that will reduce deaths.
Last updated: 20th January, 2022
