Over the past 10 years, researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand analysed small tissue samples of 1 586 children under five who died at public health facilities in Soweto.
Results show that more than half of the infections that led to deaths in newborns babies up to one month of age and about a third in infants babies between one and 12 months were caused by just two types of bacteria.
Both types of germs are fast becoming resistant to antibiotics.
Child health including preventing children from dying was a big talking point at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in September.
But a global report published in March shows that 65 countries are off track to meet the targets for cutting early child deaths by 2030.
South Africa is one of them.
Intodays newsletter, Linda Pretorius explains how two superbugs are causing half of the deaths among newborns.Sign up for our newsletter today.
Over the past 10 years, researchers from the University of the Witwatersrands vaccines and infectious diseases analytics unit analysed small tissue samples of 1 586 children under five who died at public health facilities in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg.
With the people in the area living in from informal settlements to structured houses, the cases seen here are a good window into what is likely to be seen in other urban townships in South Africa too, says the team.
