NEARLY 4.9 million children under the age of five died in 2024, according to new estimates from United Nations agencies, highlighting a worrying stall in global efforts to reduce child mortality even before international aid cuts took effect.
The report, produced jointly by UNICEF, the World Bank, the World Health Organisation, and the UN Population Division, emphasises that most of these deaths could have been prevented with improved access to basic healthcare and affordable interventions for conditions such as preterm birth complications and diseases like malaria.
“Preventable child deaths have more than halved since 2000, but progress has slowed since 2015,” Reuters cited the agencies, noting. While the 2024 total matches the 2022 record low of 4.9 million, differences in data calculation mean the figures cannot be directly compared to prior years.
A WHO spokesperson cautioned that the global reduction in child mortality is slowing, with factors such as conflict, economic instability, climate change, and weak health systems contributing to the stagnation.
“Together, these pressures risk undermining past achievements and could lead to stagnation — or even reversal — in hard-won child survival gains if not addressed,” the spokesperson said.
The figures predate international aid budget cuts by major donors, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, which began in 2025.
Overall global development assistance for health fell by nearly 27 per cent last year, according to the Gates Foundation, raising concerns that reductions in funding could reverse recent gains in child survival.
“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 where we're seeing further global budget cuts,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
The UN agencies also warned that reduced funding could impede data collection, making it harder to track progress in child health outcomes worldwide.
The report relies on UN datasets and estimates from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, providing the most comprehensive global assessment to date of under-five mortality. - March 18, 2026
