UNICEF's new report on infant mortality demonstrates large reductions in preventable infant deaths in all regions of the world, including low-income countries. In fact, Some of the world's poorest countries have made the strongest advances in child survival since 1990.
But although the joint effort of governments, people, civil society and private sector, has managed to prevent the death of 90 million children under five years (in the last 22 years); if current trends continue, it will not be possible to reduce before 2028 in two thirds the mortality rate for this age range.
That is Millennium Development Goal number four, and although progress must be celebrated, let us not forget that if the world community did not take immediate action to accelerate progress, around 35 million children could die between 2015 and 2028 (for avoidable causes)
In West and Central Africa the lowest level of progress in child survival, from all regions of the planet: one in eight children dies before their fifth birthday; In these regions there has been no reduction in the annual number of infant deaths.
Reversing these devastating trends requires immediate action on numerous fronts, as described in the Millennium Development Goals: reduce poverty, reduce mothers' mortality, boost education and gender equality, and promote environmental sustainability.
Pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria remain the leading causes of child deaths in the world, as they end the lives of around 6,000 children under 5 every day. Malnutrition contributes to almost half of all these deaths
Just one year ago, the governments of Ethiopia, India and the United States, in collaboration with UNICEF, presented the commitment to child survival: A renewed promise, world effort to prevent children from dying due to causes that can be easily prevented.
To date, 176 governments have signed the commitment to accelerate progress for child survival. Hundreds of civil society groups and religious entities, as well as private individuals, have also pledged their support.
A renewed promise is a global movement that seeks to foster a strategy to mobilize and intensify global actions aimed at improving the health of women and children in the world through promotional measures and activities to accelerate a reduction in preventable deaths.
Worldwide, the rate of decline has accelerated, since the annual reduction rate has tripled since 1990.
Progress is possible and should be made, and countries like Bangladesh, Brazil or Ethiopia give us an example of this. By taking advantage of concerted actions, strong strategies, adequate resources and a strong political will in support of the survival of children and mothers, great reductions in infant mortality are achieved, which is a moral imperative.
Source | UNICEF In Peques and More | The challenge of ending the avoidable deaths of children, In developing countries, mortality in newborns decreases little by little but increases its overall rate among infant mortality figures, Infant mortality in indigenous communities is higher than recorded in children of general population
