UNICEF: Time to Prioritise Children's Lives at the Global Level

A UNICEF report records a drastic drop in under-five child deaths since 2000, but the rate of decline has slowed since 2015, with millions of deaths that are largely preventable. Globally, the number of under-five deaths has fallen by more than half over the past two decades. However, the report titled Levels & Trends in Child Mortality notes that the pace of this decline is now slowing. Since 2015, the speed of reduction in child mortality rates has decreased by more than 60%, signalling new challenges in efforts to improve child survival. In 2024, it is estimated that around 4.9 million children will die before reaching the age of five, including 2.3 million newborns. Most of these deaths are considered preventable through simple, proven, low-cost interventions and broader access to quality healthcare services. The report also highlights that newborn deaths account for nearly half of all global under-five deaths. This indicates that progress in preventing deaths around the time of birth is still progressing more slowly than for other age groups. The main causes of newborn deaths include complications from premature birth and problems during the delivery process. Additionally, infections such as neonatal sepsis and congenital anomalies are also significant factors contributing to high mortality rates. For the first time, this report also estimates the number of deaths directly caused by severe acute malnutrition. The results show that more than 100,000 children aged one to 59 months died from this condition in 2024. The distribution of child deaths remains highly uneven geographically. Sub-Saharan Africa records the highest rate, accounting for about 58% of total global under-five deaths, followed by South Asia at 25%. In response to these findings, UN Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, emphasised the importance of global commitment to accelerate addressing this issue. “To accelerate progress and save lives, UNICEF calls on governments, donors, and partners to make child survival a priority in politics and funding, to focus on those at highest risk, strengthen accountability, and invest in primary healthcare systems,” he said during the daily briefing. UNICEF hopes that collaborative efforts from various parties can accelerate the decline in child mortality rates, especially in high-risk regions, so that more lives can be saved in the future.