Poverty Facts and Stats. This figure is based on purchasing power parity (PPP), which basically suggests that prices of goods in countries tend to equate under floating exchange rates and therefore people would be able to purchase the same quantity of goods in any country for a given sum of money. That is, the notion that a dollar should buy the same amount in all countries. Hence if a poor person in a poor country living on a dollar a day moved to the U.S. with no changes to their income, they would still be living on a dollar a day. The new poverty line of $1.25 a day was recently announced by the World Bank (in 2008). For many years before that it had been $1 a day.
But the $1 a day used then would be $1.45 a day now if just inflation was accounted for. The new figures from the World Bank therefore confirm concerns that poverty has not been reduced by as much as was hoped, although it certainly has dropped since 1981. Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality in 2008: a systematic analysis. Methods We used multicause proportionate mortality models to estimate deaths in neonates aged 0—27 days and children aged 1—59 months, and selected single-cause disease models and analysis of vital registration data when available to estimate causes of child deaths. New data from China and India permitted national data to be used for these countries instead of predictions based on global statistical models, as was done previously. We estimated proportional causes of death for 193 countries, and by application of these proportions to the country-specific mortality rates in children younger than 5 years and birth rates, the numbers of deaths by cause were calculated for countries, regions, and the world.
Findings Interpretation These country-specific estimates of the major causes of child deaths should help to focus national programmes and donor assistance. Where and why are 10 million children dying every year? WHO estimates of the causes of death in children. Death Rates Among Children 5 or Younger Are Dropping Sharply, Study Finds. Achieving Zero. Why children's health is a major focus of UNICEF's work The world has achieved dramatic reductions in child mortality since 1990. Globally, the number of deaths of children under age 5 has dropped by 59 percent. But progress has slowed, and there is much more work to be done. Tens of thousands of children still die every day from preventable or treatable causes related to lack of basic health care and other factors, such as poor nutrition and unsafe water.
Many child deaths are the result of conflict and other humanitarian emergencies. UNICEF believes in the right of every child to be healthy — to not only survive, but to thrive. Related: How UNICEF Supports Maternal Health How is UNICEF working to improve children's health? Through its many public and private partnerships, and operating at the global, national and community levels, UNICEF engages in a number of activities, including: Reducing under 5 child mortality Vaccination Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) Outbreak response Nutrition.