Goal 4: Child Health

Infections such as pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, malaria, and measles rank among the top killers of children in the developing world.  Undernutrition limits a child’s ability to fight these infections and plays a role in 1 of every 3 child deaths before age five.

Most child deaths in the developing world are easily preventable.  Over half of the 9 million children who die yearly before age 5 could be saved with existing technology.

Millennium Development Goal 4 aims to reduce child mortality by promoting distribution of many existing low-tech and low-cost interventions.  These include vaccinations, antimicrobial medications, bed-nets for malaria prevention, and improved family care and breastfeeding practices.

Across the developing world, improvements in child health have not occurred quickly enough. Significant investment and public donations will be needed to meet Goal 4 by 2015.

Learn how you can help.

TARGET 1:Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate.

Children in the developing world die of causes that largely do not affect richer nations.  Where investments have brought existing life-saving technology into developing regions, child health has improved dramatically. The need remains great elsewhere.

CHILD DEATHS HAVE DECREASED, BUT TOO SLOWLY TO MEET GOALS IN SOME REGIONS. Important reductions in child deaths have been made since 1990.  However, out of every 1000 births in sub-Saharan Africa, 145 children still die before age 5.  In Southern Asia, 77 out of every 1000 newborns will not reach age 5.  By comparison, in developed nations only 6 out of 1000 babies will die before age 5.

THE MEASLES VACCINE HAS HAD A TREMENDOUS IMPACT. Measles is a devastating viral illness, but a vaccine exists to prevent it.   Use of this vaccine is increasing in all developing regions except the Pacific Islands, where only 6 out of 10 children are vaccinated properly.  Only 3 out of 4 children in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia are vaccinated, but these rates are improving.  Elsewhere, vaccine use equals or is close to use in richer nations.

CHILD MORTALITY IS HIGHEST FOR THE POOR, RURAL, AND UNEDUCATED. Children are more likely to die before age 5 if their mothers are not educated or If they are born into a rural or poorer family with less access to health care.