Here’s some good news, for once, which I was pointed to by a report about China in the Economist. International organisations have identified ten countries which have made exceptional progress in keeping children alive. The basic figures are here; a report explaining what those countries have done to achieve it is here. A substantial part of it is the improvement in the health of the mothers.
Under 5 mortality rate per 1000 live births | ||
1990 | 2013 | |
Bangladesh | 144 | 41 |
Cambodia | 116 | 40 |
China | 54 | 14 |
Egypt | 86 | 21 |
Ethiopia | 204 | 68 |
Lao PDR | 163 | 72 |
Nepal | 142 | 42 |
Peru | 79 | 18 |
Rwanda | 151 | 55 |
Viet Nam | 51 | 23 |