According to a report released by the United Nations on Tuesday, the global number of children who passed away before reaching the age of 5 has hit an all-time low in 2022. For the first time, the number of fatalities fell below 5 million.

The report states that approximately 4.9 million children passed away before the age of five in 2022. This marks a 51% decrease from 2000 and a 62% decrease from 1990. However, the report also cautions that this progress is unstable and not equally distributed.

According to Helga Fogstad, the director of health at UNICEF, there is a significant amount of positive developments, including a historic decrease in under-five mortality. She stated that the number has dropped below 5 million for the first time, specifically to 4.9 million per year.

The report, created by UNICEF alongside the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, shows significant advancements in developing nations like Malawi, Rwanda, and Mongolia. In these countries, childhood death rates have decreased by over 75% since 2000.

In a statement, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell expressed that within these figures are tales of midwives and trained medical professionals assisting in safe childbirth, administering vaccinations to children for protection against potentially fatal illnesses, as well as making house calls to aid families.

However, the report cautioned that this is a fragile accomplishment. The advancements made in newborn and child health could plateau or decline if necessary measures are not implemented to counter the multitude of dangers.

Scientists noted concerning indicators, stating that the decline in deaths of children under 5 has decelerated worldwide, particularly in the sub-Saharan Africa area.

In total, 162 million children under the age of 5 have died since 2000, 72 million of whom perished in the first month of life, as complications related to birth are among the main causes of early childhood mortality.

The report notes that respiratory infections, malaria, and diarrhea are the primary causes of death between the ages of 1 month to 5 years. These illnesses can all be prevented.

Researchers have cautioned that in order for the United Nations to achieve their target of lowering under-5 mortality to 25 per 1,000 births by 2030, emergency investments in children’s healthcare will be required in 59 countries. Furthermore, if proper funding is not provided, 64 countries will not be able to meet the goal of reducing first-month deaths to 12 per 1,000 births.

“The figures are not mere digits on a piece of paper; they symbolize the untimely loss of real human lives,” stated the report.

The numbers also reveal glaring inequalities across the world, as the sub-Saharan Africa region accounted for half of all deaths of children under age 5 in 2022.

Infants born in nations with elevated mortality rates in early childhood, like Chad, Nigeria, or Somalia, have an 80-fold higher risk of death before their fifth year compared to infants born in countries with lower mortality rates during childhood, such as Finland, Japan, and Singapore.

“We should not let the place of a child’s birth determine their chance at life or death,” stated World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.