Infant Mortality

The October 2000 Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that, while we still have a long way to go, we have made tremendous progress in child mortality over the last 50 years.

Today, the probability that a newborn baby will die before reaching 5 years of age is about 7% globally, compared with 10% in 1990 and 25% in 1950!

Mortality rates have fallen most dramatically in the eastern Mediterranean, western Pacific, throughout Europe, and throughout the Americas.

In stark contrast, childhood mortality rates have stalled — and even increased — in areas of Africa and Southeast Asia. The growing childhood AIDS epidemic is the biggest factor in this increase.

What joy and pain are reflected in these statistics!