According to a new report published by the United Nations, the death rate of children under five worldwide has decreased by 42 percent in 2023 compared to 2015, while stillbirth cases have decreased by 53 percent. This was reported by the WHO press service.
It turns out that almost half of the boys and girls under the age of five mentioned above died in the first month of their lives. This was mainly due to premature birth and complications during childbirth.
The death of older children was mostly caused by infectious diseases, including acute respiratory viral infections, pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhea.
Furthermore, 45 percent of stillbirth cases occurred during childbirth. Infections in the mother's body, complicated childbirth, or the lack of timely medical assistance were the main factors.
Nevertheless, the record reduction in child mortality on our planet over the past 8 years is a historic achievement.
Immunization programs, proper nutrition, medicines, clean drinking water supply, and improved sanitation conditions played an important role in this.
However, according to experts, the achieved indicators are still not sufficient. There is an opportunity to prevent the deaths of millions more children by intensifying efforts in this area.
As noted in the report, a child's chance of survival depends greatly on the place of birth. For example, the rate of death among young boys and girls is 80 times higher in the country with the highest mortality rate compared to the country with the lowest rate.
"Reducing such disparities is not only a moral obligation but also an important step towards sustainable development and equality around the world" — states the report.
