Global child survival has improved over two decades, marking a major public health success, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which released new global estimates on child mortality trends this week in a report.
Speaking at an online briefing on Thursday, Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, said more than 10 million children died before the age of five in 2000, dropping to 4.9 million in 2024, according to new estimates.
He attributed the progress to investments in vaccines, skilled birth care, nutrition treatment, and stronger primary healthcare systems, noting that millions of children survived because governments and partners scaled proven interventions worldwide.
“Immunisation has been central, rising from five per cent coverage in 1974 to 85 per cent today, driven by the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, which has helped save more than 150 million lives.
“Despite these gains, 4.9 million deaths remain too many, with progress slowing since 2015, and Sub-Saharan Africa still the hardest hit, recording about 2.8 million under-five deaths and thousands of daily newborn fatalities.”
He warned that conflict, humanitarian crises, and funding pressures threaten essential services, urging renewed focus on primary healthcare, maternal and newborn care, expanded immunisation, and equitable access to nutrition and life-saving treatments.
Highlighting progress, he cited Sierra Leone, which declared child mortality an emergency, and North Macedonia, where neonatal deaths fell sharply following improvements in emergency obstetric and newborn care services.
The WHO, working with UNICEF and partners, also updated vaccine guidance through its advisory group, while urging governments and donors to prioritize child survival and sustain funding for essential health services globally.
