There are several different elements that should be considered and properly acted upon to facilitate a comprehensive program to reduce the mortality rates for children under five. According to the World Health Organization, "6.9 million children under the age of five died in 2011. More than half of these early child deaths are due to conditions that could be prevented or treated with access to simple, affordable interventions" (No author, 2012).

Therefore, the comprehensive program to address this issue will consist of three different parts. The first is to provide interventions for mothers prior to childbirth, the second is to provide interventions during childbirth, and the third is to provide interventions during the first five years after childbirth. For the first of these interventions, it is crucial that mothers receive immunizations against common child-bearing diseases such as tetanus, receive regular visits from antenatal consultants, and refrain from intoxicants such as drinking or smoking (No author, 2012).

Additionally, to address...

These include being cared for in a sanitary environment, given access to breast feeding, and making sure that the baby is breathing and kept warm. Finally, it is important that babies receive proper nutrition during the first month and the first five years of their lives.
Doing so would require feeding them ready-to-use therapeutic foods (Moody, 2011). It may be a challenge to get these foods to children, particularly in parts of Africa or in Asia which are severely impoverished, so elements of the program must be tailored to address these specific needs.

References

Moody, S. (2011). "Ready-to-use therapeutic food." USAID from the American People. Retrieved from http://blog.usaid.gov/2011/10/ready-to-use-therapeutic-food/

No author (2012). "Children: reducing mortality." World Health Organization. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs178/en/index.html