UNICEF: In the Sub-Sahara, 1 in 13 children died before their fifth birthday

In 2017, an estimated 6.3 million children under the age of 15 died, mostly from avoidable causes, in the case of the Sub-Sahara, 1 in 13 children died before their fifth birthday according to UNICEF

This is shown by a new overview of figures released today by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Population Division and the World Bank Group.

The vast majority of these deaths – 5.4 million – occur in the first five years of life. New-borns make up about half of the deaths.

“Without urgent action, 56 million children younger than 5 will die between now and 2030 – half of them newborns,” says Laurence Chandy, UNICEF Director of Data, Research and Policy.

Simple solutions
“We have made remarkable progress in saving children since 1990, but millions are still dying because of who they are and where they are born. With simple solutions such as medicines, pure water, electricity and vaccines, we can change that reality for every child.”

Half of all deaths under five years took place in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2017 and another 30 percent in South Asia. In the Sub-Sahara, 1 in 13 children died before their fifth birthday. In countries with a high income, that number was 1 in 185.