The number of children dying before their fifth birthday fell to 4.8 million in 2023, while stillbirths slightly declined to 1.9 million, according to new reports by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.

Despite these gains, the reports warn that progress is under threat as major donors cut funding for child health initiatives. Since 2000, child deaths have dropped by more than half, and stillbirths by over a third, largely due to investments in vaccines, nutrition, and healthcare access. However, since 2015, the rate of decline in child mortality has slowed by 42%, and stillbirth reductions have slowed by 53%.

The UN reports highlight that reduced funding is leading to healthcare worker shortages, clinic closures, and vaccine disruptions, particularly in high-risk regions facing economic instability and humanitarian crises.

WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, stressed the need for urgent collaboration to sustain progress, while UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, warned that without continued investment, hard-won gains could be lost.

Disparities remain stark, with children in sub-Saharan Africa 18 times more likely to die before age five than those in wealthier nations. Nearly 80% of stillbirths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.

UN officials urge governments and donors to boost funding and expand access to life-saving healthcare to prevent more child deaths and ensure sustainable progress.