In India and South Africa 'both developing countries with heightened poverty and inequality' child mortality and poor health remain unacceptably high. One-third (34.7%) of children under five in India, and one in five children in South Africa were stunted in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Evidence suggests that the health of children in South Africa has deteriorated over time, despite an increase in social spending, with inequalities further widening during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Human Sciences Research Council (Fri,) studied this question.