Geneva: Child health experts and global humanitarian groups are raising urgent concerns after new data showed that worldwide deaths among children under the age of five are expected to increase this year for the first time in more than two decades. The warning comes as international funding for healthcare and nutrition programs has dropped sharply, reversing years of progress.
According to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, an estimated 4.8 million children will die in 2025. This is around 200,000 more than last year. Most of these deaths are expected to occur in low and middle income countries where children are already vulnerable due to weak healthcare systems, malnutrition and limited access to vaccines and clean water.
Global child mortality had been falling for years, dropping from nearly 13 million deaths in the early 1990s to less than 5 million in recent years. Experts describe this new upward trend as alarming and avoidable.
Reports show that international health aid has fallen by nearly one third this year. Major donors including the United States, the United Kingdom and several European countries have cut spending on overseas health programs. Analysts say rising national debt, domestic political pressure and shifting economic priorities have contributed to the drop in funding.
The consequences are already visible. Some vaccination campaigns have slowed, nutrition support programs have been reduced and medical supply deliveries have been delayed in several countries across Africa and South Asia.
A separate study by global health researchers reported last month that if current cuts continue, millions more children could lose access to life saving care by 2030. The study estimated that up to 22 million additional deaths could occur worldwide over the next five years in a worst case scenario.
UNICEF and the World Health Organization have also warned that the disruption is affecting maternal care, early nutrition and disease prevention programs, which are essential during a child's first years of life.
Health experts say it is still possible to reverse the trend if governments and international partners increase investment in basic healthcare services, vaccination programs and nutrition support. They also urge stronger long term planning to prevent health systems from collapsing when funding declines.
Advocacy groups are calling this moment a turning point for global child health and say the world must act quickly to prevent losing decades of progress.