UN warns progress on countering child mortality slowing

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 HEALTH 

UNITED NATIONS - Progress in reducing child mortality is slowing, the UN said in a report Tuesday, with an estimated 4.9 million children worldwide dying in 2024 before reaching the age of five.

"Most of these deaths are preventable with proven, low-cost interventions and access to quality health care," said the joint report by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

The organizations noted that the number of deaths among children under five has fallen by more than half since 2000. But since 2015, the pace of this decline has slowed by more than 60 percent.

Child deaths remain heavily concentrated in a few regions: in 2024, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 58 percent of all these deaths and South Asia for one-quarter.

Of the 4.9 million children who died worldwide, the report estimated that 100,000 of them, aged 1 to 59 months, died from severe malnutrition.

"The toll is far greater when indirect effects are considered, as malnutrition weakens children's immunity and increases their risk of dying from common childhood diseases," the report said.

The main causes of newborn mortality are complications related to premature births (36 percent of cases) and those occurring during labor and delivery (21 percent).

Beyond the first month of life, preventable infectious diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia remain major causes of death.

"Evidence shows that investments in child health remain among the most cost-effective development measures," the report said.

Low-cost interventions, such as vaccines, treatment for severe acute malnutrition, and skilled care at birth "deliver some of the highest returns in global health, improving productivity, strengthening economies and reducing future public spending."