Some countries like Bolivia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Bangladesh which are poorer than India have fared better in helping children live beyond five years. |
While New Delhi's concerted efforts at reducing the mortality rate for the under-five age group have shown a success rate of 34 per cent from 1990 to 2006, the above countries have recorded 40 per cent reduction. This is revealed in a Unicef report 'The state of world's children "" 2008', which analyses the figures from 1990 to 2006. |
China, India's peer as one of the fastest-growing economies of the world, has fared better with a 47 per cent reduction. |
Unicef representative Gianni Murzi said while India had improved its record, the trend would not take it anywhere near the millennium development goals (MDGs) of human development by 2015. |
"India's progress is the key to achieving the MDGs as the country's share of world population and therefore the burden of improving the lot of children is crucial for this," the report says. |
The report says countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia and Nepal, with lower GDP than India's, have reduced the mortality rate for children up to the age of one by 50 per cent or more. |
"This is a proof that progress for children can be made in poor countries if political will and sound strategies are in place," the report says. |
The report says India's annual reduction rate for the under-five category is around 2 per cent. However, to achieve the MDG targets, New Delhi needs to fast-track efforts and target an annual reduction rate of 7.6 per cent, says the report. |