Progress made decades of struggles in reducing the mortality of children under five on a worldwide scale may stop, or worse, reversed, due to cuts in international aid, warned Monday with a report by the UN.

The annual report, prepared by the UNICEF, World Health Organization (Which) and the World Bankno name is named in the US. But it is released a few weeks after the Donald Trump government has announced that it is abolishing most of the USAid’s USAid International Development Aid programs, which had an annual budget of $ 42.8 billion.

“The global health community was never more anxious”stressed to the French Agency the Fouzia Safikofficial responsible for health issues at UNICEF.

In 2023, the mortality of children under 5 years of age continued to decline, with 4.8 million deathsincluding 2.3 million newborns younger than one month, according to the report.

After reducing it for the first time in 2022 below the 5m barrier, the new historical low signifies a decrease by 52% Since 2000. But even so, it’s a terrible number, Mrs. Safik insisted.

In addition, in 2015, progress has begun to slow down, which was burdened by the redirection of capital for years in dealing with the pandemic of the new crown. And that was probably just the beginning.

“Without the right political choices and adequate investment, we are at risk of seeing the reversal of advances conquered by hard struggles”, warned by UNICEF Executive Director, Kathryn Russell. ‘We cannot allow this to do’he added.

The consequences of funding cuts, the report warns, will be heavier where the mortality indicators were already the highest: in sub -Saharan Africa and South Asia.

“To just say, if vital service support is not continued, many countries can expect the deaths of newborn and children.”

Some consequences have already begun to be felt: Medical staff deficiencies, closing clinics, problems in vaccination programs, lack of medicines, especially against malaria.

Such as for example in Ethiopiawhere this disease rages in the current interval, the Fouzia Safik of the UN Fund for childhood.

But the country is facing a lack of competition tests, it has no mosquitoes with insecticides or means of campaigns for mosquito elimination, he explained.

Separate report of the same services at the same time expresses concern about stagnation as regards ‘Rhythm of mortality’the deaths of baby after 28 weeks of pregnancy, before pregnancy or during its time, which reached them 1.9 million in 2023.

“Every day, more than 5,000 are undergoing the birth experience of the birth of a dead baby,” is emphasized in the document.

Systematic medical monitoring and treatment during pregnancy could avoid a large number of these deaths, as well as children born prematurely and are extremely vulnerable.

The deaths of very young children could be limited to the struggle against curable diseases such as pneumonia or diarrhea.

“From the struggle against malaria to the prevention of mortals, passing by providing care for younger children, we can make the difference for millions of families.”assured by the general manager of his Tedros Antanom Gedes.