The charity World Vision today publishes a report saying that nearly nine million children won’t see their fifth birthday.

8.8 million children die each year before the age of five, which equates to 24,000 deaths every day.

They say the main causes of these deaths are largely preventable – an estimated two thirds of children could be saved through simple interventions such as low-cost vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent malnutrition and comprehensive postnatal care to prevent post pregnancy complications and infections.

Most child deaths are accounted for by just four main causes: neonatal complications and infections, with 40% of children dying in the first 28 days of life, and pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, which together account for a further 34% of child mortality.

The charity has launched a ‘Child Health Now’ to argue that this situation as every bit as urgent as the acute humanitarian emergencies to which we routinely respond.

The main drivers of change have to come from the developing countries. They say countries which are poorly governed and ill coordinated with levels of internal corruption need help to make these important changes.

Any increases in the level of aid for health must be accompanied by far-reaching changes in where and how that aid is spent.

They argue that just 30 high burden countries account for over 80% of child mortality – or over 7 million deaths each year – yet these same countries receive less than half of global aid commitments for health.

Therefore, any increases in the level of aid for health, according to World Vision, must be accompanied by far-reaching changes in where and how that aid is spent.

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