India topped the chart of registered largest number of under five deaths in 2011

In the Child Mortality Estimates Report 2012 published on 12 September 2012, by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), India was placed at the top position in the chart of 10 countries that topped on the chart. The other countries with their names on the chart are Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. 

As per the report, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, China, Pakistan along with India are the countries with more than fifty percent of the total deaths. The countries with world’s lowest mortality rate are Singapore, the Nordic Countries, Japan and some of the European Countries. But the good news of the report is the decrease in the number of the under five mortality to 6.9 million from that if the 12 million in 1990. This fall measures to 51 per thousand in 2011 from that of 87 per thousand in 1990.

The identified cause for the mortality is:

• 14 percent due to pre-term birth complications
• 18 percent due to Pneumonia
• 11 percent due to Diarrhea
• 9 percent due to Intrapartum related complications
• 7 percent of the total deaths happen

The report also cleared that approx 40 percent of the total deaths were reported within 28 days (neonatal period) of birth which counts to be three million deaths in total.