UNIGME Report 2025

News: The UNIGME Report 2025 was recently released, highlighting global and India-specific progress in reducing child mortality rates.

About UNIGME Report 2025

• It is a global report that tracks levels and trends in child mortality.
• Released by: It is released by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), led by UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank, and UN DESA.
• Title: The report is titled “Levels and Trends in Child Mortality 2025.”
• Key Findings (Global Trend)
  • Global Burden of Deaths
    • Global under-five deaths were about 9 million in 2024, including 2.3 million newborn deaths.
    • Around 1 million children, adolescents, and youth aged 5–24 years died in 2024.
  • Trend in Mortality Reduction
    • Under-five deaths have declined by more than half since 2000.
    • The pace of reduction has slowed by more than 60% since 2015.
  • Regional distribution: Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 58% of global under-five deaths in 2024.
  • Causes of Death: Major causes include preterm birth complications, infections, pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, and malnutrition.
  • Malnutrition Impact
    • Malnutrition caused about 5% of deaths among children aged 1–59 months in 2024.
    • Countries with the highest direct malnutrition deaths are Pakistan, Somalia, and Sudan.
• Key Findings Related to India
  • Decline in Mortality Rates
    • Under-five mortality declined from 127 in 1990 to 26.6 in 2024, showing a 79% reduction.
    • Infant mortality reduced to 23.3, and neonatal mortality declined to 17 in 2024.
    • Drivers of Improvement: Progress is driven by programmes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana, Universal Immunisation Programme, and Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI).
  • Regional Contribution: India has played a key role in reducing child mortality in South Asia through targeted public health interventions.