New Delhi: India has emerged as a key contributor to global progress in reducing child mortality, according to the latest United Nations report.
The UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME) Report 2025 highlighted India’s sustained and large-scale efforts in improving child survival outcomes, particularly across neonatal and under-five mortality indicators.
Over the last two decades, India has played a pivotal role in reducing child mortality in the South Asia region, which witnessed a 76 per cent decline in under-five deaths since 1990 and a 68 per cent drop since 2000.
The under-five mortality rate in the region has fallen significantly -- from 92 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to nearly 32 in 2024 -- reflecting sustained progress in child health outcomes.
This sharp reduction is largely driven by countries like India through targeted public health interventions, improved institutional delivery systems, and expanded immunisation coverage.
“India is among the countries demonstrating steady progress in reducing child mortality through sustained public health efforts. This reflects the strength of a coordinated, standards-driven approach led by the Government of India in collaboration with states, with a clear focus on translating national priorities into improved outcomes for children,” UNICEF India said in a press statement.
This progress is anchored in a continuum-of-care strategy that integrates strengthening of the health system with targeted, demand-driven initiatives such as Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, the statement said.
At the same time, the expansion of newborn care infrastructure -- including Special Newborn Care Units and digital innovations such as Tele-SNCU -- highlights how strategic investments and coordinated implementation are contributing to improved child survival outcomes across diverse settings, it said.
The report underscored that a majority of child deaths are preventable or treatable, and India’s scaling up of interventions such as the Universal Immunisation Programme, facility-based newborn care, and Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses has significantly improved survival rates.
India’s improvements in neonatal care systems have been particularly impactful. Across South Asia, neonatal deaths declined by nearly 60 per cent since 2000 and mortality in children aged 1 to 59 months declined by over 75 per cent.
While South Asia still accounts for nearly 25 per cent of global under-five deaths, the region has made one of the fastest reductions globally, positioning India as a leader among high-burden countries.
India’s success demonstrates that targeted, large-scale, and equity-driven interventions can deliver rapid results, even in populous and diverse settings, health ministry sources said.
India is among the first few countries to set targets and release operational guidelines on Stillbirth Surveillance and response, the report said. This surveillance will strengthen systematic reporting to enable corrective actions in the public health system.
“India’s experience shows that sustained leadership, strategic investments and strong collaboration with committed stakeholders have enabled a robust, scalable and effective implementation framework targeted towards the achievement of the SDGs,” the report said.