The question asks you to compare four municipal indicators against the SDG 3 targets for 2030 and identify which one has not yet reached its goal. This is a data-interpretation item that tests whether you can recall the specific numeric benchmarks under SDG 3 and apply them to a community health scenario.
SDG 3 target benchmarks
The Sustainable Development Goal 3 targets relevant to this scenario are clearly defined in the global health literature. For maternal mortality, the goal is to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to
less than 70 per 100,000 live births [1]. For neonatal mortality, the target is
12 or fewer deaths per 1,000 live births [3]. For under-5 mortality, the goal is
25 or fewer deaths per 1,000 live births [2][3][4]. For noncommunicable diseases, the target is a
one-third reduction in premature mortality by 2030 compared with 2015 levels.
Applying the benchmarks to the RHU data
The municipality reports a maternal mortality ratio of
65 per 100,000 live births. Because this is below the SDG target of
70, the maternal mortality indicator has already met the goal
[1]. The neonatal mortality rate of
11 per 1,000 live births is also below the threshold of
12, so it is within target
[3]. Premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases are reported as
36% lower than in 2015, which exceeds the required
one-third (approximately 33%) reduction and therefore also meets the target.
The under-5 mortality rate is the only indicator that remains above its SDG 3 benchmark. The municipality reports
27 per 1,000 live births, while the SDG 3.2 target requires a rate of
25 per 1,000 live births or lower [2][3][4].
A rate of 27 means that for every 1,000 children born alive, 27 die before reaching their fifth birthday, which is 2 deaths per 1,000 above the 2030 goal.
| Indicator | Municipal data | SDG 3 target | Status |
|---|
| Maternal mortality ratio | 65 per 100,000 live births | <70 per 100,000 | Met |
| Neonatal mortality rate | 11 per 1,000 live births | ≤12 per 1,000 | Met |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 27 per 1,000 live births | ≤25 per 1,000 | Not met |
| Premature NCD deaths | 36% lower than 2015 | ≥33% reduction | Met |
Key point! The under-5 mortality rate integrates both neonatal deaths and deaths occurring between 1 month and 5 years of age. Even when the neonatal component is within target, excess post-neonatal deaths from pneumonia, diarrhea, malnutrition, or injuries can push the overall under-5 rate above the SDG threshold.
Watch out! Do not confuse the neonatal target of
12 per 1,000 with the under-5 target of
25 per 1,000. These are separate SDG 3.2 sub-targets, and a municipality can meet one while failing the other
[3].
From a public health nursing perspective, an under-5 mortality rate of
27 in an upland municipality with geographically isolated barangays signals that child survival interventions are not reaching all communities equally.
The gap between the neonatal rate and the under-5 rate suggests that deaths occurring after the neonatal period, between 1 month and 5 years, are contributing disproportionately to the excess mortality. These post-neonatal deaths are often driven by preventable conditions such as acute respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, and undernutrition, which are highly sensitive to access to primary care, immunization coverage, oral rehydration therapy, and community-based integrated management of childhood illness. In geographically isolated areas, delays in care-seeking, limited transport, and weak referral pathways can amplify these risks.
The global evidence reinforces that many low- and middle-income settings remain far from the under-5 mortality target, with only a minority of countries achieving rates of
25 per 1,000 or below
[4]. This means the RHU nurse should prioritize strengthening child survival programs, particularly those addressing post-neonatal causes of death, while maintaining the gains already achieved in maternal and neonatal health.
References (research sources)
- [1]
Tracking the impact of maternal health service coverage on maternal mortality across 137 low- and middle-income countries in the progress toward Sustainable Development Goals.Research articleGanancial FS, Hsieh VC. (2026) · DOI: 10.7189/jogh.16.04324
- [2]
Tracking under-five mortality from 1990 to 2023: Global, regional, and national trends, inequities, and projections toward achieving SDG Target 3.2 by 2030.Research articleCao G, Liu J, Liu M. (2026) · DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0343745
- [3]
Global, regional, and national progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 for neonatal and child health: all-cause and cause-specific mortality findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.Research articleGBD 2019 Under-5 Mortality Collaborators (2021) · DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01207-1
- [4]
Assessing Africa's child survival gains and prospects for attaining SDG target on child mortality.Research articleAdedini SA, Anjorin SS, Mobolaji JW, Okolie EA, Yaya S (2024) · DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003022