The United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME) has released its 2025 report.
- About 4.9 million children under five died worldwide in 2024, with newborns making up nearly half.
- Leading causes are preterm birth complications, infections, pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and malnutrition.
- India's under-five mortality rate declined to about 26.6 (2024) and neonatal mortality to 16.7.
- India helped reduce child deaths in South Asia through immunisation, institutional deliveries and newborn care.
- Neonatal deaths remain high, and progress must speed up to meet the SDG targets.