Join the global movement for child survival

To advance Every Woman Every Child, an initiative launched by the United Nations Secretary-General, partners from the public, private and civil society sectors are uniting around a clear and compelling goal: ending preventable child deaths. For the first time in history we have the knowledge, technical expertise and innovative tools needed to mitigate the risk of young children dying from preventable causes. Evidence shows that tremendous progress is possible, even in the most difficult settings. By pledging support for A Promise Renewed, partners commit to redoubling efforts to accelerate the declines in the number of under-five and maternal deaths, enabling more countries to achieve MDGs 4 and 5 by 2015 and to sustain the progress well into the future. Everyone has a role to play in achieving the goals of A Promise Renewed: Governments can take the lead in monitoring and strengthening country action plans for maternal, newborn and child survival. Development partners can align their support with national priorities and targets. Private sector partners can spur innovation and help identify new resources for maternal, newborn and child survival. Civil society can support the communities and families whose decisions and actions have a direct impact on prospects for maternal, newborn and child survival. Individual citizens can demonstrate support for the principle that every last child, rich or poor, deserves the best possible start in life.

Steady progress has been made, but many more lives can be saved
World leaders have been steadfast in their commitment to child survival and well-being starting in late 1989 with the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 1990, the global community united behind the World Summit for Children. A decade later, world leaders adopted the Millennium Declaration, which led to the subsequent adoption of the MDGs and positioned children at the centre of eight critical targets for human development. In 2002, the United Nations General Assembly passed a landmark resolution to build A World Fit for Children. This sustained commitment to children has contributed to a remarkable decrease in child mortality that is unprecedented in human history. Over the past two decades, the number of under-five deaths has fallen dramatically, from nearly 12 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011. Yet, even as the global and regional under-five mortality rates have fallen, the number of child deaths still remains unacceptably high. Every year, millions of children die from causes that we have the power to prevent and diseases that we have the ability to treat. The time has come to recommit to child survival and renew the promise to give every child the best possible start in life. Join us.

Facilitated by the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)

Committing to Child Survival

Visit the website for additional information. www.apromiserenewed.org Twitter: #Promise4Children

A Promise Renewed is a commitment to all children, rich and poor, wherever they live. No child should die of preventable causes.

Photos: Front cover: UNICEF/AFGA2010-00439/Noorani Inside left: UNICEF/NYHQ2006-2706/Noorani Right: UNICEF/NYHQ2011-1795/Pirozzi September 2012

A Promise Renewed

Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed is a global effort to accelerate action on maternal, newborn and child survival.
In June 2012, the Governments of Ethiopia, India and the United States convened more than 700 representatives from government, civil society and the private sector for the Child Survival Call to Action in Washington, D.C. Evidence presented at the high-level forum demonstrated that it is feasible to eliminate the grossest of inequities the disparate child survival rates that persist between the poorest and richest nations. A modelling exercise showed that most countries can lower national rates of child mortality to 20 or fewer deaths per 1,000 live births by 2035. To make the most of this extraordinary opportunity, governments and partners are uniting under the banner of A Promise Renewed to support concerted action on three fronts:

Renewing the Promise to every child: It can be done!

Many countries have achieved marked declines in child mortality over the past two decades, including some that had very high mortality rates in 1990. Globally, reductions in under-five mortality rates, combined with declining fertility rates in many regions and countries, have lowered the number of child deaths from nearly 12 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011.
Countries that achieved the greatest percentage declines in under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) since 1990

72% decline
U5MR 1990: 148 U5MR 2011: 42

LAO PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

Lao Peoples Democratic Republic Timor-Leste Liberia Bangladesh Rwanda Nepal Cambodia

72 Four countries 70 68 67 65 64 64 64 62 61 61 60 58 57 57 54 53 52 51 51

achieved a reduction of more than two thirds

Strengthening evidence-based country action plans: Participating governments are

sharpening their country action plans to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and setting five-year milestones to monitor progress from 2015 to 2035.

Malawi Madagascar Bhutan

Monitoring and reporting: Governments and

partners are increasing the availability and accessibility of data and analysis on maternal, newborn and child mortality to encourage stronger accountability for child survival. Each year, UNICEF and partners will release global progress reports to stimulate public dialogue and sustain the political commitment to child survival.

BANGLADESH

Ethiopia Niger Bolivia (Plurinational State of) United Republic of Tanzania Zambia Mozambique Azerbaijan

14,000
FEWER
CHILDREN
DIED EACH DAY IN 2011 THAN IN 1990
LIBERIA

67% decline
U5MR 1990: 139 U5MR 2011: 46

Promoting global communication and social mobilization for child survival: Governments and
partners are mobilizing broad-based social support for the principle that no child should die from preventable causes. By harnessing the power of mobile technology, governments and partners are engaging all citizens, especially women and youth, in the search for innovative solutions to maternal, newborn and child survival.

68% decline
U5MR 1990: 241 U5MR 2011: 78

TIMOR-LESTE

Senegal Haiti Eritrea

70% decline
U5MR 1990: 180 U5MR 2011: 54

25

50

75

100

Percentage change, 1990 to 2011

Note: This map is stylized and is not to scale. It does not reflect a position by UNICEF on the legal status of any country or territory or the delimitation of any frontiers. The dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the Parties. The final boundary between the Republic of the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined. The final status of the Abyei area has not yet been determined.

Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, 2012.

Five priority actions

Dramatic reductions in preventable child deaths can be achieved through concerted action in five critical areas:

GeoGrapHy Scale up efforts in the 25 countries that

account for 80 per cent of all under-five deaths. While every region of the world has made progress in reducing the number of child deaths, high rates of child mortality persist, particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

HiGH-BUrDen popULations
Strengthen health systems to increase coverage among underserved populations, including rural and low-income groups. Coverage of proven interventions and access to innovative products and strategies must be expanded to reach the children and families in greatest need.

HiGH-iMpact soLUtions
Intensify efforts to address the five conditions responsible for almost 60 per cent of child deaths pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, pre-term birth complications and intrapartum-related complications.

GenDer eQUaLity
Invest in education for girls and women and empower them to make decisions that impact their lives. Promote womens rights, gender equality and inclusive economic growth.

MUtUaL accoUntaBiLity
Build broad-based political support for maternal, newborn and child survival; monitor progress against a set of common metrics; and encourage public dialogue on the triumphs and challenges of efforts to accelerate declines in preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths.