Fox News: UNICEF: Worldwide Child Mortality Rates Lowest Ever
More children are surviving today than ever before," said Ann Veneman, UNICEF's executive director.
New data from the UN Children's Fund suggests that life-saving measures like vitamin A supplementation, insect nets and vaccines are reaching more children than ever in poor countries. Global child deaths fell to 9.7 million in 2005, down from nearly 13 million in 1990.
In Morocco, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic, UNICEF reported that child death rates dropped by more than a third. In Africa, increased vaccination coverage reduced measles deaths by 75 percent.
"We are very encouraged by this progress," Veneman said. "If we can maintain the sense of urgency, then real progress can be made."
UNICEF's data is based on government-conducted surveys in more than 50 countries in 2005-2006.
But some experts questioned UNICEF'S interpretation of the data. ...
Comments