The number of children dying globally before their fifth birthday has reached a historic low, dropping to 4.9 million in 2022, the latest report by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) revealed. The report reveals that more children are surviving today than ever before, with the global under-5 mortality rate declining by 51 per cent since 2000. Several low-and lower-middle-income countries have outpaced this decline, showing that progress is possible when resources are sufficiently allocated to primary health care, including child health and well-being. For example, the findings show that Cambodia, Malawi, Mongolia, and Rwanda have reduced under-5 mortality by over 75 per cent since 2000.
"Behind these numbers lie the stories of midwives and skilled health personnel helping mothers safely deliver their newborns, health workers vaccinating and protecting children against deadly diseases, and community health workers who make home visits to support families to ensure the right health and nutrition support for children," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
"Through decades of commitment by individuals, communities, and nations to reach children with low-cost, quality, and effective health services, we've shown that we have the knowledge and tools to save lives.
Despite progress made, an estimated 4.9 million children died in 2022. The report warns that the progress has come too late for many, and there is still a long road ahead to ending preventable child deaths, which have accumulated 162 million deaths of children under-five between 2000 and 2022.
Out of the 4.9 million under-five deaths, 2.3 million occurred during the first month of life (neonatal deaths), and 2.6 million between the ages of 1 month and 59 months. Child deaths are more and more concentrated in the neonatal period when deaths are often caused by conditions that necessitate functioning health care systems such as complications around the time of childbirth and prematurity.
According to the report, the loss of those children must not be forgotten or overlooked, where the knowledge and interventions to lower this number are available. This tragic loss of life is primarily due to preventable or treatable causes.
