UN Report: 4.9 Million Under-Five Deaths in 2024

Approximately 4.9 million children under the age of five died worldwide in 2024, according to a new report from United Nations agencies, signaling a slowdown in efforts to reduce child mortality rates even before significant cuts to global aid budgets took effect.

The report, released Wednesday by UNICEF, the World Bank, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Division, highlights that most of these deaths were preventable through improved access to healthcare and low-cost interventions. Common causes included complications from preterm birth and treatable diseases such as malaria. Since 2000, the number of under-five deaths has more than halved, dropping from around 9.9 million to the current levels. However, the agencies noted that the pace of decline has slowed considerably since 2015.

In 2022, the global figure stood at 4.9 million, followed by a record low of 4.8 million in 2023. The 2024 estimate returns to 4.9 million, but officials cautioned that direct comparisons are not possible due to differences in how the data was calculated across years. "However, we do see a global slowdown in mortality reduction," a WHO spokesperson said, attributing the...