First 1000 days of a child's life should be prioritised
The State of the South African Child Report, launched by the Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund in Houghton.
The report identifies education, the community environment and access to formal housing as main drivers behind major issues facing children.
The largest causes of natural deaths are respiratory and intestinal infections - mainly diarrhea.
Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal have the highest of these mortality rates.
The report recommends prioritising the first 1000 days of a child's life - for early detection and management of developmental issues.
"If you don't give them a chance under the age of two, you lose an opportunity. By the time they are three, their brains are already formed. The best time for a child to grow and brain to grow is before they are aged two," says CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund Bongi Mkhabela.