India’s child mortality rate declined between 1990 and 2019: UN

News: “The Levels and Trends in Child Mortality: Report 2020” has been released by UNICEF, WHO, Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the World Bank Group.

Facts:

Key Takeaways:

• Globally: The number of global under-five deaths has dropped to its lowest point on record in 2019 – down to 5.2 million from 12.5 million in 1990.
• Region wise: The regions of Central and Southern Asia and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) saw a faster decline in under-five mortality from 2010-2019 compared to 2000-2009.However, the global burden of under-five deaths weighs most heavily on just two regions – sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia.

India Specific Data: 

• The under-five mortality rate has declined to 34 in 2019 from 126 in 1990.The sex-specific under-five mortality rate in 1990 stood at 122 males and 131 females and this declined to 34 males and 35 females in 2019.
• The infant mortality rate has declined from 89 in 1990 to 28 in 2019,
• The neonatal mortality rate has declined from 57 in 1990 to 22 in 2019.
• The probability of dying among children aged 5–14 years declined from 21 in 1990 to 5 in 2019.
• The probability of dying among youth aged 15–24 years dipped from 24 in 1990 to 10 in 2019.

Additional Facts:

• Under-five mortality rate: Probability of dying between birth and five years of age expressed per 1,000 live births.
• Neonatal Mortality: Number of deaths during the first 28 completed days of life per 1,000 live births in a given year or period.
• Infant mortality rate(IMR): It is the number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1000 live births.