Global child mortality fell to 4.8 million in 2023, marking a historic low, while stillbirths declined slightly to 1.9 million, according to new UN reports. Since 2000, child deaths have dropped by more than half, largely due to investments in vaccines, nutrition, and clean water. However, progress is slowing, and major funding cuts now threaten to undo decades of improvement.
Healthcare worker shortages, clinic closures, and disruptions in vaccination and medical supply chains are putting millions of vulnerable children at risk. The reports highlight deep disparities children in sub-Saharan Africa are 18 times more likely to die before age five than those in high-income nations, with stillbirth rates similarly unequal.
Nearly half of all under-five deaths occur in the first month of life, often due to premature birth and labor complications, while pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhea remain leading causes of preventable child deaths beyond infancy. Experts warn that without urgent action, preventable deaths could rise again.
The UN urges governments and donors to maintain investments in maternal and child healthcare, emphasizing that expanding access to quality medical care, prenatal support, vaccinations, and nutrition programs is critical to saving lives and ensuring global health equity.
