Child mortality rates have been cut in half since the 1990s, but if trends continue as they are the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to reduce childhood deaths by two-thirds by 2015 will be significantly off track.
Progress on saving the lives of children is believed to be directly related to strong global leadership, effective programming and a common goal that all children should survive to their fifth birthday, UNICEF reported.
"It's unimaginable that one million babies take their first and last breath on the day they are born. Today's new numbers further underline how important it is to reach mothers and babies during the critical time around delivery in order to prevent this senseless tragedy," said David Morley, UNICEF Canada President and CEO.
One in 11 children born in Sub-Saharan Africa die before the age of five. Nearly 2.8 million babies die within the first 28 days of life across the globe; one million don't make it past their second day.
Hospital policies could be partially to blame for the unsatisfactory mortality rates. Complications during labor and delivery are responsible for about a quarter of neonatal deaths worldwide, but only about half of all women receive the recommended minimum of four antenatal care visits during their pregnancy. Research has suggested breastfeeding within one hour of delivery reduces infant mortality rates by 44 percent, but less than half of newborns are breastfed immediately.
Mothers' education levels have proved to have a significant effect on the chances of infant survival, with those with no education being twice as likely to have a child that dies when compared to those with a secondary school education and above. Inequality also makes a difference; women from the richest households are three times as likely to deliver their baby with a skilled birth attendant compared with those in the poorest. Despite the troubling numbers, the equality gap in under-five mortality is significantly reducing.
"It is deeply heartening that the equity gap in child survival is continuing to narrow," Geeta Rao Gupta, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director said. "We need to harness this momentum and use it to drive forward programs that focus resources on the poorest and marginalized households; a strategy which has the potential to save the largest number of children's lives."
The findings were published in UNICEF's recent report titled "Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed."
