More than 80 countries have cut their under-5 mortality rates at least in half since 2000 – 69 of these countries are
developing nations. Every region of the world and income group has countries making good gains for children’s health
and survival, including a majority (59 percent) of low-income and lower-middle-income countries.

Notable progress has been made in West and Central Africa, where nearly half (11 of 24) of countries in the region including some of the poorest countries in the world – have at least halved their under-5 mortality rates since 2000.
Insecticide-treated bed nets have helped improve the survival of young children, as have immunization campaigns, dietary supplements, and programs to encourage breastfeeding.

In South Asia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal have achieved great reductions in child mortality since 2000. Bangladesh’s child death rate is down 63 percent, Bhutan’s is down 60 percent, Nepal’s is down 59 percent and India’s is down 57 percent. There have been equitable gains among the poorest children in both Bangladesh and India. (See page 15 for more on what’s working in Bangladesh.) In the Middle East, Egypt stands out for its 53 percent drop in child deaths since 2000 and success in reaching the poorest children with lifesaving health care. While there is much child survival progress to celebrate around the world, the job is nowhere near done. Death rates of children in the first days after birth have remained stubbornly high around the world. In India, for example, the latest figures indicate that close to two-thirds of all under-5 deaths (605,000) occur among newborns in the first 28 days of life. The number of Indian children dying after the first month and before age 5 has fallen by 70 percent since 2000 – from 1.3 million to 384,000 – but the number of newborn deaths has declined by only 52 percent.64 Many of the poorest children are still vulnerable to ill-health and early death. Lack of universal health coverage, inadequate diets and unsafe water still put the most disadvantaged children at the highest risk of death in almost every country. An estimated 5.4 million children still die before their fifth birthday each year. At a time when the knowledge and technology to save lives is available, 15,000 child deaths each day is unacceptable.65