The State of the World's Children 2008 - Child Survival

Child mortality is a sensitive indica- tor of a country’s development and telling evidence of its priori- ties and values. Investing in the health of children and their moth- ers is not only a human rights imperative, it is a sound economic decision and one of the surest ways for a country to set its course towards a better future. Impressive progress has been made in improving the survival rates and health of children, even in some of the poorest countries, since 1990. Nonetheless, achieving Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG 4), which aims to reduce the global under-five mortality rate by two thirds between 1990 and 2015, will require additional effort. Attaining the goal is still possible, but the challenge is formidable.