Yesterday, UNICEF – the United Nations’ agency focused on the wellbeing of children – released a report on child mortality and children’s health.
The good news: We’re making progress in reducing children’s deaths. In 1990, an estimated 12.7 million children under the age of 5 died. Last year that number dropped to 6.3 million.
The bad news: More than 6 million children are still dying each year from mostly preventable causes.
With less than 500 days until the target date for the Millennium Development Goals, which include reducing child mortality by two-thirds, we need to step up our efforts to protect children – especially children living in poverty and in remote areas who often don’t receive the health services they need.
Let’s commit to giving every child a chance to survive and thrive. The UN Foundation, in support of the UN’s Every Woman Every Child movement on women’s and children’s health, is expanding access to life-saving solutions including immunizations, anti-malaria bed nets, clean cookstoves, and health information through mobile phones. We hope you will join us.
