Child mortality rates plunge by more than half since 1990 but global MDG target missed by wide margin

Child mortality rates have plummeted to less than half of what they were in 1990, according to a new report released today. Under-five deaths have dropped from 12.7 million per year in 1990 to 5.9 million in 2015. This is the first year the figure has gone below the 6 million mark. New estimates in “Levels and trends in child mortality report 2015,” released by UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank Group, and the Population Division of UNDESA, indicate that although the global progress has been substantial, 16 000 children under 5 still die every day. And the 53% drop in under-five mortality is not enough to meet the Millennium Development Goal of a two-thirds reduction between 1990 and 2015.
Source: WHO news - Category: Global & Universal Tags: child health [subject], children's health, children, young child, child, child health [subject], children's health, children, young child, child, mortality [subject], death, death rate, adult mortality, child mortality, neonate mortality, fatal outcome, m Source Type: news