Levels and Trends in Child Mortality 2017, reveals that although the number of children dying before the age of five has come down to 5.6 million in 2016 (Photo: Pixabay)

Bengaluru: A UN report has painted a grim picture of India's high mortality rate for children below five years of age. Even though there is a marginal decline in the death rate in India over the last five years, it still accounts for 24% deaths of new-borns in the world, the report added.

Around 7,000 new-borns die each day and most of the deaths occurred in two regions: Southern Asia (39%) and sub-Saharan Africa (38%).Dr Arun, who did a research on the cause of infant mortality, said, "The staff to patient ratio is very low in India. In most villages there is one nurse for five babies and during night one nurse for 20 babies. Material resource and human power is the major concern."

According to the UN report, published on October, 2017, five countries accounted for half of all new-born deaths: India (24%), Pakistan (10%), Nigeria (9%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (4) and Ethiopia (3%).

"Most of the deaths happen in rural India. This could be because several deliveries still happen at home or at primary health centres (PHCs). Equipment and skills required at PHC level is inadequate," said Dr Nirupamma from St. John's hospital.

Levels and Trends in Child Mortality 2017, reveals that although the number of children dying before the age of five has come down to 5.6 million in 2016, from 9.9 million in 2000 - the proportion of under-five deaths in the new-born period has increased from 41% to 46% during the same period, the report added.