Child mortality rate around the world has reduced by more than 41 per cent passing from 12 million deaths in 1990 to 6,9 million in 2011. According to the 2012 UNICEF Report on Levels and Trends in Child Mortality released on Wednesday September 12th, 2012 substantial progress has been made towards achieving Millennium Development Goal No 4.

According to the report, Eastern Asia, Northern Africa, Latin America and the Carribean, South-eastern Asia and Western Asia have reduced their under-five mortality rate by more than 50 per cent. While the 41 per cent global drop translates into 14,000 fewer children dying every day in 2011 than in 1990, the report says it still implies the deaths of 19,000 children under age five every day in 2011. The highest rates of child mortality are still in Sub-Saharan Africa where the report says one in nine children dies before age five, more than 16 times the average for developed regions which records one in 152.

While under-five deaths are increasingly concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, about half of these deaths occur in only five countries: India, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan and China. India and Nigeria account for 24 and 11 per cent respectively. If almost 30 per cent of neonatal deaths occur in India, Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest risk of death in the first month of life and is among the regions showing the least progress.

Pneumonia, preterm birth complications, diarrhea, malaria and complications during birth are leading causes of death identified in the report. "Globally, more than a third of the under-five deaths are attributable to malnutrition.