[child-rights] World falling short on promise to reduce child deaths

UNICEF Press release
Embargoed for 00.01 GMT, Friday 8 October

NEW YORK, 7 October 2004 ­ New country-by-country data reveals alarmingly
slow progress on reducing child deaths despite the availability of proven,
low-cost interventions, a UNICEF survey revealed today. UNICEF said that
while 90 countries are on track to meet the target of reducing child
deaths by two-thirds by 2015, 98 countries are considerably off track, and
globally the pace of progress is far too slow.

At the current rate of progress, the average global under-five death rate
will have dropped by roughly one-quarter by 2015, far below the two-thirds
reduction agreed to by world leaders.

"A child's right to survive is the first measure of equality, possibility,
and freedom," UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said, launching
Progress for Children in New York. "It is incredible that in an age of
technological and medical marvels, child survival is so tenuous in so many
places, especially for the poor and marginalized. We can do better than
this."

Progress for Children ranks countries on their average annual rate of
progress since 1990, which is the baseline year for the global goal of
reducing child mortality by two-thirds by 2015 ­ a goal agreed to by all
governments as part of the UN's Millennium Development Goals.

Child mortality refers to the number of children who die before their
fifth birthday, and is measured per 1,000 live births. For example, in
2002, the most recent year for which comprehensive data is available,
industrialized countries had an average child mortality rate of 7 deaths
per 1,000 live births; the least developed countries had a rate of 158
deaths per 1,000 births. UNICEF considers child mortality rates the basic
measure of a country's advancement.

The regional tables in the report provide comparisons of how quickly or
slowly nations have made progress on child mortality between 1990 and
2002.  The goal of a two-thirds reduction assumed an average annual rate
of progress of roughly 4.4 per cent between 1990 and 2015. The report
reveals that no region has met that standard, though nearly 50 individual
countries have. Some 78 countries have failed to average even two percent
progress per year in reducing child mortality.

The figures make clear that those countries that have fallen short on
progress since 1990 now have a much more daunting task. At least 39
countries must now reduce mortality by more than 8 per cent per year, on
average, during the remaining years to 2015 in order to reach the goal.

Heading in Reverse

Child mortality rates vary considerably among regions and countries, but
the most disturbing findings are those countries whose annual rate of
progress has been negative; in other words, they are heading in reverse,
with rising child mortality rates. In several countries in sub-Saharan
Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States, children are less
likely to make it to their fifth birthdays than they were in 1990.

HIV/AIDS remains one of the chief underlying causes affecting child
mortality trends, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Botswana, Zimbabwe
and Swaziland, which registered the second, third and fourth fastest
increases in under-five deaths, also have the world's highest national HIV
prevalence rates - about 37, 25 and 39 per cent, respectively. Other key
factors behind spiking child mortality rates, as in the case of Iraq and
Afghanistan, are the effects of armed conflict and social instability.

Despite a slight improvement, Sierra Leone continues to have the world's
highest rate of child mortality, with more than one in four children dying
before age five (284 deaths per 1,000 births annually).

Latin America and Caribbean countries have seen the most substantial
improvement on average, although alarming gaps are opening up within
countries there. Poverty and discrimination are preventing large groups of
children within these countries from accessing basic services.

Malaysia, Malta and Egypt have made the most dramatic leaps forward
overall, although Egypt is still battling polio. Iraq has lost the most
ground since 1990.

Root Causes

Inadequate birthing conditions ­ meaning little or no health care for
mothers, and the lack of skilled attendants during deliveries ­ cause the
largest proportion of preventable deaths. Infectious and parasitic
diseases, such as diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections, followed by
malaria and measles are the next biggest killers. Acute respiratory
infections and diarrhoea are at the root of roughly one-third of child
deaths.

Malnutrition contributes to more than half of all child deaths. Unsafe
water and poor sanitation are also contributing factors.

"The world has the tools to improve child survival, if only it would use
them," Bellamy said. "Vaccines, micronutrient supplements and
insecticide-treated mosquito nets don't cost much, and would save millions
of children. But not enough children are being reached with these basic
life-savers. That's what has to change. No government should be allowed to
let another ten years pass with so little progress for children. Leaders
have agreed to goals and they must be held accountable."

Regionally, much of the Middle East and Northern Africa, Latin America and
the Caribbean, and East Asia and the Pacific are on track to reach the
goal. But Central and Eastern Europe, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa
will require dramatic measures if they are to come close.

****

For further information, please contact:
Alfred Ironside, UNICEF, Media New York: (1-212) 326-7261,
Oliver Phillips, UNICEF Media, New York: (1-212) 326-7583,
Marixie Mercado, UNICEF Media, New York: (1-212) 326-7133


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