Progress
New estimates for under-five mortality generated by the Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME) have been released at the regional and global level on September 10, 2009. However, the individual country estimates will be released when The State of the World's Children report is published on November 20, 2009.
For further information, click on The Lancet article on Levels and Trends in Under-Five Mortality: 1990-2008.
The following text will be updated soon.
Just five diseases – pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, measles and AIDS – account for half of all deaths in children under five. Most of these lives could be saved by expanding low-cost prevention and treatment measures. These include antibiotics for acute respiratory infections, oral rehydration for diarrhoea, immunization, and the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and appropriate drugs for malaria. Ensuring proper nutrition is part of prevention, because malnutrition increases the risk of dying from these diseases.
Recent data show encouraging progress in some interventions that have a known impact on reducing under-five mortality. These include early and exclusive breastfeeding, measles immunization, vitamin A supplementation, the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to prevent malaria and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
There has been unprecedented support for global health, with increased funding and expanding partnerships with governments, the private sector, international foundations and civil society. But if current trends continue and the goal is not achieved, an additional 4.3 million child deaths could occur in 2015 alone.
Some gains undermined by spread of HIV and AIDS
The highest rates of child mortality are still found in West and Central African countries. In southern Africa hard-won gains in child survival have been undermined by the spread of HIV and AIDS.
The benefits of reaching MDG 4 – reducing child mortality – are enormous. If the target of reducing by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate is achieved, the deaths of 5.4 million children under five will be averted in the year 2015 (as compared to the situation in 2005).
Progress towards MDG 4 needs to accelerate in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
Yet, many countries throughout the world are on track to reach the target 
Global progress in reducing child mortality is insufficient to reach MDG 4
Latin America and Caribbean, CEE/CIS and East Asia and Pacific have made the most progress: Average annual rate of reduction (AARR) in the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) observed for 1990–2007 and required during 2008–2015
|
Summary Indicators |
U5MR |
AARR (%) |
|
|||
|
1990 |
2007 |
Observed (1990-2007) |
Required (2008-2015) |
Progress towards the MDG 4 target |
||
|
Sub-Saharan Africa |
186 |
148 |
1.3 |
10.9 |
insufficient |
|
|
Eastern and Southern Africa |
165 |
123 |
1.7 |
10.1 |
insufficient |
|
|
West and Central Africa |
206 |
169 |
1.2 |
11.3 |
insufficient |
|
|
Middle East and North Africa |
79 |
46 |
3.2 |
7.0 |
insufficient |
|
|
South Asia |
125 |
78 |
2.8 |
7.8 |
insufficient |
|
|
East Asia and Pacific |
56 |
27 |
4.3 |
4.6 |
on track |
|
|
Latin America and Caribbean |
55 |
26 |
4.4 |
4.4 |
on track |
|
|
Central and Eastern Europe, CIS |
53 |
25 |
4.4 |
4.3 |
on track |
|
|
Industrialized countries |
10 |
06 |
3.0 |
7.5 |
on track |
|
|
Developing countries |
103 |
74 |
1.9 |
9.6 |
insufficient |
|
|
Least developed countries |
179 |
130 |
1.9 |
9.7 |
insufficient |
|
|
World |
93 |
68 |
1.8 |
9.8 |
insufficient |
|
Source for figures: UNICEF estimates based on the work of the Inter-agency Child Mortality Estimation Group. Disparity analysis based on household survey data (MICS and DHS) collected in 63 developing countries during 2000-2006. Under-five mortality by cause: Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG)