Education is key to reducing child mortality

In 2006, for the first time in recent history, the total number of annual deaths among children under the age of five fell below 10 million, to 9.7 million. This represents a 60-per-cent drop in the rate of child mortality since 1960. Data compiled by the Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation reveals that progress has been made in every region of the world. Since 1990, China’s under-five mortality rate has declined from 45 deaths for every 1,000 live births to 24 per 1,000, a reduction of 47 per cent; India’s rate declined by 34 per cent. The rates in six countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Eritrea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Nepal—fell by 50 per cent or more from 1990 to 2006, although under-five mortality rates in these countries remain high. Ethiopia achieved a nearly 40-per-cent reduction during the same period.