Poverty levels and political stability are major factors
NEW YORK (AlertNet) - The latest report on child mortality from the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) finds that children born into the poorest fifth of households globally are almost twice as likely to die before the age of five as their counterparts in the wealthiest 20 percent.
Other factors that contribute to the likelihood of a child dying before the age of five include being born in a rural area, or to a mother without basic education.
Being born in an unstable, violent country also affects child mortality. Eight of the 10 countries with the world’s highest death rates among under-fives are affected by conflict, violence or a fragile political situation, UNICEF says.
A child is least likely to live until its fifth birthday in:
- Sierra Leone: 185 deaths of children under five per 1,000 live births
- Somalia: 180 deaths
- Mali: 176 deaths
- Chad: 169 deaths
- Democratic Republic of Congo: 168 deaths
A child is most likely to survive beyond the age of five in:
- Singapore: 2.6 deaths of children under five per 1,000 live births
- Slovenia: 2.8 deaths
- Sweden: 2.8 deaths
- Finland: 2.9 deaths
- Cyprus: 3.1 deaths
Source: UNICEF
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