Context
A United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME) report highlights that India is showing steady progress in reducing child mortality, even as global improvement has slowed.
Mortality Terms (Basics)
1. Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR)
Number of deaths of infants within 28 days of birth per 1,000 live births.
2. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
Number of deaths of children below 1 year per 1,000 live births.
3. Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR)
Number of deaths of children below 5 years per 1,000 live births.
Key Data
• Global: ~4.9 million under-5 deaths in 2024 (including 2.3 million newborns).
• Trend: Under-5 deaths have halved since 2000, but progress slowed after 2015 (>60%).
India-specific
• NMR: 57 (1990) → 17 (2024)
• U5MR: 127 (1990) → 27 (2024)
• India showing consistent decline due to public health interventions
Causes
• Newborn deaths: ~50% of under-5 deaths
• Major causes: preterm birth (36%), delivery complications (21%)
• Later deaths: malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea
• Malnutrition: major underlying factor (often underreported)
