WHO: Under-5 mortality down 50% since 1990
Sushmi Dey
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New Delhi:
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Almost half the child deaths worldwide are still caused due to under-nutrition despite substantial progress made to reduce under-five mortality , a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) secretariat has said.Between 1990 and 2013, under-five mortality declined by 49%, falling from an estimated rate of 90 deaths per 1,000 live births to 46 deaths per 1,000 live births.The global rate of decline has also accelerated significantly, from 1.2% per annum between 1990 and 1995 to 4% per annum between 2005 and 2013. About 17,000 fewer children died every day in 2013 than in 1990.
“Despite the evidence of progress, the gains remain insufficient to reach the target of a two-thirds reduction from 1990 levels of mortality by the year 2015,“ the report, which will be released during the 68th World Health Assembly to be held from May 18 to 27 in Geneva, said.
The report also pointed to at the slower decline in neonatal mortality rate and its increasing proportion in total under-five deaths. In 1990, neonatal deaths accounted for 37% of the total under-five children deaths, and the share increased to 44% in 2013.
The observations are significant with 22% of the total under-five deaths occurring in India. Estimates show that in 2013, over 15 lakh underfive children died in India.
Child mortality is also high in Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and China.
However, the report observed India's efforts to control deaths due to diarrhoea and pneumonia, which contribute almost 24% of the total under-five deaths.
The annual Health Assembly , a supreme decisionmaking body of WHO, will be attended by delegations from 194 WHO member countries, who will review activities of WHO through the year and set priorities for the future.This year, India has assumed presidency at the global event after a gap of 19 years.
The report, titled `Monitoring of the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals', lists other issues such as maternal mortality , people suffering from hunger, reproductive health as well as spread of HIV.
“Despite the evidence of progress, the gains remain insufficient to reach the target of a two-thirds reduction from 1990 levels of mortality by the year 2015,“ the report, which will be released during the 68th World Health Assembly to be held from May 18 to 27 in Geneva, said.
The report also pointed to at the slower decline in neonatal mortality rate and its increasing proportion in total under-five deaths. In 1990, neonatal deaths accounted for 37% of the total under-five children deaths, and the share increased to 44% in 2013.
The observations are significant with 22% of the total under-five deaths occurring in India. Estimates show that in 2013, over 15 lakh underfive children died in India.
Child mortality is also high in Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and China.
However, the report observed India's efforts to control deaths due to diarrhoea and pneumonia, which contribute almost 24% of the total under-five deaths.
The annual Health Assembly , a supreme decisionmaking body of WHO, will be attended by delegations from 194 WHO member countries, who will review activities of WHO through the year and set priorities for the future.This year, India has assumed presidency at the global event after a gap of 19 years.
The report, titled `Monitoring of the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals', lists other issues such as maternal mortality , people suffering from hunger, reproductive health as well as spread of HIV.
