🧒 Child mortality halved in these nine Asian countries

• Child mortality in nine Asian countries has decreased by more than half since 2000, meaning millions more children survive the first critical years of life.
• Afghanistan shows the largest decline from 13 percent to 6 percent, while China now has the lowest level at only 1 percent.
• Improvements in nutrition, clean water, sanitation, vaccinations, and poverty reduction have contributed to this positive development.

Significant progress across the region

Data from the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation shows that nine Asian countries have made remarkable progress in the fight against child mortality since the turn of the millennium. The statistics measure the proportion of newborns who die before the age of five, writes Our World in Data.

Afghanistan has reduced child mortality from 13 percent in 2000 to 6 percent in 2022. Cambodia and Laos, both starting at 11 percent, have lowered levels to 2 and 4 percent respectively during the same period.

Bangladesh, Myanmar, and India all started at 9 percent in 2000. Bangladesh and India have decreased to 3 percent, while Myanmar now stands at 4 percent. Nepal has reduced its child mortality from 8 percent to 3 percent.

Lowest child mortality in China and Indonesia

Indonesia, which started at a relatively lower level with 5 percent child mortality in 2000, has managed to halve the figure to 2 percent. China now shows the lowest level among the nine countries with only 1 percent child mortality in 2022, down from 4 percent at the turn of the millennium.

These advances represent millions of children who now survive and have the opportunity to grow up. For a large country like India, the reduction from 9 to 3 percent means hundreds of thousands more children surviving each year.

Factors behind the success

Several factors have contributed to this positive development. Improved access to nutrition and clean water has played a crucial role. Expansion of sanitation facilities has reduced the spread of diseases that previously took many children's lives.

Increased vaccination coverage has protected children against deadly diseases. At the same time, economic development and reduced poverty in the region have given families better conditions to care for their children.

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