Progress made so far to meet child deaths target

The goal of reducing child deaths around the world by two thirds by 2015 is “dangerously off track”, aid organisations say. Following are some facts about progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goal 4:

• There were nine million preventable deaths of children under five in 2008. Two million of the deaths were on the first day of life.

• 99 per cent of child deaths occur in developing countries.

• Three quarters of developing countries are set to miss the target of reducing child deaths by two thirds by 2015.

• Chad, Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe have seen increases in child mortality rates since 1990.

• In sub-Saharan Africa close to one child in seven still dies before their fifth birthday.

• The deaths of four million children could have been prevented (across 42 of the poorest countries over a 10 year period) if a fairer approach had been taken, according to Save the Children.

• More than half of infant deaths are the result of poor quality maternal and child health services.

• Under-nutrition is a factor in more than one third of child deaths.

• Causes of child deaths include pneumonia (41 per cent), diarrhoea (14 per cent), pre-term birth complications (12 per cent), birth asphyxia (nine per cent), malaria (eight per cent), sepsis (six per cent), injury (three per cent), Aids (two per cent) and meningitis (two per cent).

• More than 40 per cent of deaths from pneumonia and diarrhoea take place in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70 per cent of people are without adequate sanitation.

• An estimated 42 per cent of diarrhoea cases could be prevented by hand washing with soap.

• Under-nutrition in developing countries leads to one in six infants being born with low birth weight

• In 40 developing countries, children have less chance of living to the age of five than a person in the UK has of living to the age of 65.