The fight against child mortality worldwide is succeeding—but millions of kids are still dying from preventable diseases, malnutrition and a lack of access to adequate hygiene and sanitation.
In 2016, the number of children who died before age 5 reached a new low: 5.6 million. That’s a devastating number—it comes to 15,000 kids dying before their fifth birthday every day—but it’s a marked decrease from 2000, when nearly 9.9 million children died beforeThe fight against child mortality worldwide is succeeding—but millions of kids are still dying from preventable diseases, malnutrition and a lack of access to adequate hygiene and sanitation.
In 2016, the number of children who died before age 5 reached a new low: 5.6 million. That’s a devastating number—it comes to 15,000 kids dying before their fifth birthday every day—but it’s a marked decrease from 2000, when nearly 9.9 million children died before age 5, and 1990, when 12.6 million children died before turning 5, according to a new United Nations report, Levels & Trends in Child Mortality 2017.
Despite this progress, neonatal deaths—babies who die within the first 28 days of life—accounted for 46 percent of all under-5 deaths last year, up from 41 percent in 2000. That’s a staggering 2.6 million newborns worldwide who died in the first month of life in 2016, or 7,000 every day. One million of them died the very day they were born, and nearly 1 million more died within their next six days. Another 2.6 million babies were stillborn last year. age 5, and 1990, when 12.6 million children died before turning 5, according to a new United Nations report, Levels & Trends in Child Mortality 2017.
Despite this progress, neonatal deaths—babies who die within the first 28 days of life—accounted for 46 percent of all under-5 deaths last year, up from 41 percent in 2000. That’s a staggering 2.6 million newborns worldwide who died in the first month of life in 2016, or 7,000 every day. One million of them died the very day they were born, and nearly 1 million more died within their next six days. Another 2.6 million babies were stillborn last year.
View External Link