Number of Child Deaths Declining

By Marie Hunt

Mommy MD Staff Writer

Since 1960, the UN has been conducting studies on child health and education. It was found in the first report that around 20 million children under the age of five were dying annually. Today, the UN is happy to report, that number has dropped to less than half.

Researchers for the UN have attributed the decline to several important developments in worldwide child health. A rise in immunization has accompanied the decline in child deaths. A rise in exclusive breastfeeding is associated with fewer infant deaths. In countries where malaria is prevalent, there has been wider distribution of insecticide-treated nets, lowering the spread of malaria significantly and protecting those most vulnerable to the disease.

In the years since 1990 alone, the rate of under-nutrition has dropped from 32 percent to 27 percent. Catherine Langevin-Falcon, the editor of the report, cautions that, although this is good news, there are still too many children who suffer from under-nutrition. About 143 million children are included in this number, with more than half counted in south Asia.

The UN study also reports great progress in gender equality and child protection. Since the last report, the number of elementary age children who are not in school has fallen 20 percent. The number of girls attending school has always been lower worldwide than that of boys, but the report indicates that the number of girls attending school has risen, exceeding those in any previous report.

References

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-12-10-voa15.cfm