Report: Global child deaths dropped to historic low of 4.9m in 2022

A report by the United Nations inter-agency group for child mortality estimation (UN IGME) says the number of children who died before their fifth birthdays dropped to 4.9 million in 2022.

The report said the figure is a “historic low”, adding that more children are surviving today than ever before.

The UN report said the global under-5 mortality rate declined by 51 percent since 2000 and that several low and lower-middle-income countries have outpaced this decline, showing that progress is possible when resources are sufficiently allocated to primary healthcare.

“But the findings also show that despite this progress, there is still a long road ahead to end all preventable child and youth deaths,” the report reads.

“In addition to the 4.9 million lives lost before the age of 5 – nearly half of which were newborns – the lives of another 2.1 million children and youth aged 5-24 were also cut short.

“Most of these deaths were concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.

“This tragic loss of life is primarily due to preventable or treatable causes, such as preterm birth, complications around the time of birth, pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria.

“Many lives could have been saved with better access to high-quality primary health care, including essential, low-cost interventions, such as vaccinations, availability of skilled health personnel at birth, support for early and continued breastfeeding, and diagnosis and treatment of childhood illnesses.”

Reacting to the report, Tedros Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said while there has been progress, annually, millions of families still suffer the devastating heartbreak of losing a child, often in the very first days after birth.

“Where a child is born should not dictate whether they live or die,” he said.

“It is critical to improve access to quality health services for every woman and child, including during emergencies and in remote areas.”