The vast majority of these deaths happen in the first five years of life, and most could have been prevented by simple solutions like medicines, clean water, electricity, vaccines and more health facilities and doctors.
The report finds that most children under 5 die from preventable or treatable causes like complications during birth, pneumonia, diarrhoea, neonatal sepsis and malaria. On average, under-five mortality rates among children in rural areas are 50 per cent higher than children in urban areas.
Children from Sub-Saharan African are disproportionately affected, with half all deaths of under-fives, taking place in the region. One third are in Southern Asia.
He added that, without urgent action, 56 million children under-five will die between now and 2030, and half of them will be new-borns but that, “with simple solutions like medicines, clean water, electricity and vaccines, we can change that reality for every child.”
Most deaths of children aged 5 and under are due to preventable or treatable causes such as pneumonia, malaria or complications during birth.
For older children, between the ages of 5 and 15, injuries become a more prominent cause of death, particularly road accidents and drownings.
Source: UNICEF
