Child Health and Mortality Rate - Global Status and Trends

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Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - Achievements

  Since more than a decade, all world leaders adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a substantial progress has been seen in global health.

  Collective actions and expansion of successful approaches are needed in present trends to tackle multiple crises and large inequalities.

  Malnutrition is the main cause of an estimated 35% child mortality. In developing countries there is a decline in underweight child population from 29% to 18% between 1990 and 2010.


  This progress is close to meet the relevant MDG target and an uneven improvement has been seen between and within different regions.

  Globally a significant progress has been seen in child mortality rate with 35% decline and the decline rate has also been accelerated from 2.1% to 2.6%. In African Region the decline rate increased from 1.8% during 1990–2010 to 2.8% during 2005–2010.

Average annual rate of decline (%) in under-five mortality levels, 1990–2010 and 2005–2010


WPR - Western Pacific Region EMR - Eastern Mediterranean Region
EUR - European Region SEAR - South East Asian Region
AMR - American Region AFR - African Region


  MDG target of reduction in mortality rate was not fully achieved by most countries. 37 out of 143 low-and middle-income countries will reach that target by 2015, if current scenario is maintained as it is.

  Global measles immunization coverage was 85% among children aged 12–23 months.

  Due to 74% decrease in measles death, one fifth of child mortality rate reduced in 2000- 2010.

  By using vaccines for pneumonia and diarrheal diseases, 20% of child mortality rate reduced.

  A rapid increase has been seen in introducing pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in African, American, Eastern Mediterranean regions.

Source: WHO-2012 report

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