Report on Child Mortality in South Carolina and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals
Key Findings from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Report
A report issued by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) on October 20, 2025, identifies unsafe sleep environments as a leading cause of child mortality in the state. This data highlights a significant public health issue that directly impedes progress toward global development targets.
Correlation with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The report’s findings have direct implications for the achievement of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly concerning the health and well-being of children.
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The prevalence of preventable deaths due to unsafe sleep is a critical challenge to meeting Target 3.2, which explicitly calls for an end to preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age. The SLED report underscores the urgency of implementing localized strategies to achieve this global goal.
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Disparities in access to education and resources for safe infant care can lead to unequal health outcomes. Addressing unsafe sleep practices is essential for fulfilling Target 10.2, which aims to empower and promote the social inclusion of all, irrespective of age or circumstance, ensuring no child is left behind due to preventable causes.
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: The data collection and reporting by SLED exemplify the role of effective and accountable institutions (Target 16.6) in monitoring public safety and providing the evidence base needed for informed policy-making to protect vulnerable populations.
Strategic Recommendations for SDG Advancement
To address the issues raised in the report and accelerate progress towards the SDGs, the following actions are recommended:
- Develop and fund public health campaigns focused on safe sleep education, directly contributing to SDG 3.
- Establish partnerships (SDG 17) between state agencies, healthcare providers, and community organizations to distribute resources and information to at-risk families, thereby reducing inequalities (SDG 10).
- Utilize institutional data, such as the SLED report, to create targeted interventions and policies that protect child welfare and strengthen community resilience (SDG 16).
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- The article directly addresses a critical public health issue: child mortality. By stating that “unsafe sleep remains one of the leading causes of child deaths,” it highlights a significant challenge to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for children, which is the core mission of SDG 3.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age
- This target is directly relevant because the article focuses on “child deaths” resulting from a preventable cause, “unsafe sleep.” Deaths related to unsafe sleep practices predominantly affect infants and children under the age of five. The SLED report’s finding underscores the need for interventions to eliminate such preventable deaths, aligning perfectly with the objective of Target 3.2.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
Indicator 3.2.1: Under-5 mortality rate
- The article implies the use of this indicator. For “unsafe sleep” to be identified as a “leading cause of child deaths,” authorities like SLED must be collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on the number and causes of deaths among children. This data is precisely what is used to calculate the under-5 mortality rate and track progress toward reducing it. The report itself is a product of monitoring this very indicator.
4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births. | 3.2.1: Under-5 mortality rate (Implied by the report identifying “leading causes of child deaths”). |
Source: wltx.com
