The number of children who died before their fifth birthday reached an all-time low in 2022, according to fresh data from the United Nations.
It showed that the global under-five mortality rate has declined by 51% since 2000. Some countries outpaced this fall, including Cambodia, Malawi, Mongolia, and Rwanda, which reduced under-five mortality by more than 75%.
“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,” said UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell.
Despite the encouraging figures, the UN said that 4.9 million children under five died in 2022. Most of these deaths were in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia, and were due to preventable or treatable causes, such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria.
“It is critical to improve access to quality health services for every woman and child,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization.
Image: Bruno Nascimento
