Despite progress, an estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday somewhere in the world, or 1 death every 6 seconds.
Geneva/New York/Washington, March 13, 2024 — The number of children who died before their fifth birthday has reached an all-time low, falling to 4.9 million in 2022, according to the latest estimates published today by the Inter-Agency Group of United Nations Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME).
“Behind these figures lie the stories of midwives and skilled health workers who help mothers deliver their newborns safely, of health workers who vaccinate and protect children against deadly diseases, and of health workers community members who conduct home visits to help families ensure adequate health and nutritional support for their children. children,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. «Through decades of commitment by individuals, communities and nations to reach children with effective, quality and low-cost health services, we have demonstrated that we have the knowledge and tools to save lives.»
The report reveals that more children survive today than ever before, and that the global under-five mortality rate has fallen by 51 percent since 2000. Several low- and lower-middle-income countries have surpassed this decline, showing that it is Progress can be made when sufficient resources are allocated to primary health care, including child health and well-being. For example, findings show that Cambodia, Malawi, Mongolia and Rwanda have reduced under-five mortality by more than 75 percent since 2000.
But the findings also show that despite this progress, there is still a long way to go to end all preventable child and youth deaths. In addition to the 4.9 million lives lost before the age of five (almost half of them newborns), the lives of another 2.1 million children and young people between 5 and 24 years old were also cut short. Most of these deaths were concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
This tragic loss of life is mainly due to preventable or treatable causes, such as premature birth, complications at birth, pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria. Many lives could have been saved with improved access to high-quality primary health care, including essential and low-cost interventions such as vaccines, availability of trained health workers at childbirth, support for early and continued breastfeeding, and diagnosis and treatment of childhood. diseases.
«While there have been positive developments, every year millions of families continue to suffer the devastating heartbreak of losing a child, often in the first days after birth,» said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The place where a child is born should not determine whether he lives or dies. “It is essential to improve access to quality health services for all women and children, even during emergencies and in remote areas.”
Improving access to quality health services and saving children’s lives from preventable deaths requires investment in education, jobs and decent working conditions for health workers to provide primary health care, including community health workers.
As trusted members of the community, community health workers play an important role in reaching children and families in every community with life-saving health services, such as vaccines, tests and medications for deadly but treatable diseases, and nutritional support. They must be integrated into primary health care systems and be fairly remunerated, well trained and equipped with the means to provide the highest quality care.
Studies show that child deaths in the highest-risk countries could be substantially reduced if community-based child survival interventions could reach those who need them. This package of interventions alone would save millions of children and bring care closer to home. Integrated management of childhood diseases (especially the leading causes of post-neonatal death, acute respiratory infections, diarrhea and malaria) is necessary to improve child health and survival.
«This year’s report is an important milestone showing that fewer children are dying before their fifth birthday,» said Dr. Juan Pablo Uribe, Global Director of Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank and Director of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents. “But this is simply not enough. We need to accelerate progress with more investment, collaboration and focus to end preventable child deaths and honor our global commitment. “We owe it to all children to ensure they have access to the same health care and opportunities, regardless of where they are born.”
While global figures show positive signs of progress, there are also substantial threats and inequities that endanger child survival in many parts of the world. These threats include rising inequality and economic instability, new and protracted conflicts, the intensifying impact of climate change and the consequences of COVID-19, which could lead to stagnation or even reversal of gains and continued unnecessary loss of children’s lives. Children born in the poorest households are twice as likely to die before the age of five compared to the richest households, while children living in fragile or conflict-affected environments are almost three times more likely to die earlier turning five years old than children in other places.
«New estimates show that strengthening access to high-quality healthcare, especially at the time of birth, helps reduce mortality among children under five,» said Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. of the United Nations. “While milestones in reducing child mortality are important to track progress, they should also remind us that greater efforts and investments are needed to reduce inequalities and end preventable deaths among newborns, children and young people.” Worldwide».
At the current rate, 59 countries will not meet the SDG under-5 mortality target and 64 countries will not meet the neonatal mortality target. That means an estimated 35 million children will die before their fifth birthday in 2030, a figure that will largely fall on families in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia or in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
The report also points out large gaps in data, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where the mortality burden is high. Data and statistics systems must be improved to better track and monitor child survival and health, including indicators on mortality and health through household surveys, registration of births and deaths through Health Management Information Systems ( HMIS) and Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS).
