Quest to stem early child deaths in Africa

These days it’s easy to feel let down by the direction the world is taking or the scale of the challenges we face. When I start feeling this way, I remind myself of the number ‘48 million’. That’s the number of early child deaths that have been prevented since 2000 and a testament to what can be achieved if we work together.

Childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa has declined by 46 per cent between 2000 and 2015. This progress has been achieved through the remarkable collective efforts of Africa’s leaders, donor countries, international health agencies and organisations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.