UN report says 4.9 million children died before age five in 2024 as progress slowed
The Facts
- An estimated 4.9 million children died before age five in 2024.
- The report says most of those under-five deaths were preventable with proven, low-cost interventions and access to quality health care.
- UN agencies say the pace of decline in under-five mortality has slowed by more than 60% since 2015.
- The number of under-five deaths has fallen by more than half since 2000.
- The report says 2.3 million of the children who died in 2024 were newborns.
- The burden of child deaths is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
- UN agencies warned that aid cuts could make it harder to sustain progress in reducing child mortality.
Context
What does the report say is driving many of these deaths?
The report says many deaths are linked to causes that can be addressed with low-cost care, including complications from pre-term birth and diseases such as malaria; some coverage also notes pneumonia among leading causes Reuters,Guardian,Московский ….
Where are child deaths concentrated?
The report says most under-five deaths are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with those regions accounting for the large majority of deaths in 2024 EL PAÍS,India Today,Excélsior.
Why are UN agencies warning about aid cuts?
They say reduced aid could slow or undermine progress in child survival by limiting access to health systems and basic interventions that prevent many deaths Guardian,ThePrint,ZEIT ONLINE.
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Independent coverage (50)
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