WASHINGTON: (Web Desk) – Progress in reducing child mortality is slowing globally, according to a joint report by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). An estimated 4.9 million children under five died in 2024, most from preventable causes, including malnutrition, infectious diseases, and complications during birth.
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While child deaths have fallen by more than half since 2000, the pace of decline has slowed by over 60 percent since 2015. The majority of these deaths are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa (58%) and South Asia (25%). Malnutrition alone contributed to 100,000 deaths among children aged 1 to 59 months, weakening immunity and increasing vulnerability to illnesses such as malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia.
The report stresses that low-cost, evidence-based interventions—including vaccines, treatment for severe acute malnutrition, and skilled birth care—can prevent most of these deaths and are among the most cost-effective measures in global health, boosting productivity and reducing long-term public spending.
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