A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) has offered the most detailed look yet at global child mortality, revealing that millions of deaths among children under five could still be prevented.
According to Levels and Trends in Child Mortality, an estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns. While under-five deaths have fallen by more than half since 2000, progress has slowed significantly since 2015.
Compiled by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, the report provides the clearest picture yet of where, how, and why children, adolescents, and young people are dying. For the first time, it includes detailed data on deaths linked to severe acute malnutrition.
The findings show that over 100,000 children aged one month to five years died directly from severe acute malnutrition in 2024, representing about five per cent of deaths in that age group. Experts warn the real toll is likely higher, as malnutrition weakens immunity and increases vulnerability to common childhood illnesses. Pakistan, Somalia, and Sudan were among the worst-affected countries.
Newborn deaths remain a major concern, accounting for nearly half of under-five fatalities. Leading causes include complications from preterm birth (36 per cent), problems during labour and delivery (21 per cent), and infections such as neonatal sepsis and congenital anomalies. Beyond the neonatal period, infectious diseases continue to claim the most lives, with malaria alone responsible for 17 per cent of deaths among children aged one month to five years, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Progress in reducing malaria-related deaths has stalled, particularly in high-burden countries like Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, and Nigeria, where conflict, climate shocks, and limited healthcare access persist.
Geographical disparities remain severe. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 58 per cent of all under-five deaths in 2024, while Southern Asia contributed 25 per cent. By contrast, infectious diseases caused only nine per cent of under-five deaths in Europe and North America, and six per cent in Australia and New Zealand, highlighting unequal access to life-saving interventions.
Children in fragile and conflict-affected settings are nearly three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday. The report also estimates that 2.1 million individuals aged 5 to 24 died in 2024. Among adolescents, self-harm was the leading cause of death for girls aged 15 to 19, while road traffic injuries were the top cause for boys.
Global health experts warned that changing development financing trends are placing maternal and child health programs under strain. Sustained investment in primary healthcare, data systems, and essential services is vital to maintain and accelerate progress.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said, “No child should die from diseases that we know how to prevent. But we see worrying signs that progress in child survival is slowing, and at a time when we’re seeing further global budget cuts.”
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added, “Children living amid conflict and crisis are nearly three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday. We must protect essential health and nutrition services and reach the most vulnerable families so every child has the chance not only to survive, but to thrive.”
World Bank Group Director for Health Monique Vledder described the findings as “a collective call to speed up implementation of the proven, scalable solutions we know are within reach,” while UN Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua stressed the need for renewed political commitment and stronger data systems to ensure no child is left behind.
Health researcher Li Liu highlighted that many child deaths are preventable through low-cost interventions, including immunization, better nutrition, and quality maternal and newborn care.
The report concludes that scaling up these proven interventions—such as vaccines, malnutrition treatment, and skilled birth care—could save millions of lives. It notes that every dollar invested in child survival can generate up to twenty dollars in social and economic returns, underscoring the urgency for governments and global partners to prioritize child health.
