New Delhi, India has made significant strides in reducing child mortality, according to the latest United Nations report.
The UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation Report 2025 highlights India's sustained efforts in improving child survival outcomes, particularly across neonatal and under-five mortality indicators.
Over the last two decades, India has played a pivotal role in reducing child mortality in the South Asia region, which witnessed a 76 per cent decline in under-five deaths since 1990 and a 68 per cent drop since 2000.
The under-five mortality rate in the region has fallen significantly from 92 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to nearly 32 in 2024, reflecting sustained progress in child health outcomes.
This sharp reduction is largely driven by countries like India through targeted public health interventions, improved institutional delivery systems, and expanded immunisation coverage.
UNICEF India noted that India's progress is anchored in a continuum-of-care strategy that integrates strengthening of the health system with targeted, demand-driven initiatives.
The report underscored that a majority of child deaths are preventable or treatable, and India's scaling up of interventions such as the Universal Immunisation Programme has significantly improved survival rates.
India's improvements in neonatal care systems have been particularly impactful, with neonatal deaths declining by nearly 60 per cent since 2000 and mortality in children aged 1 to 59 months declining by over 75 per cent.
