China makes dramatic progress in reducing child mortality

China had made dramatic progress in reducing preventable child deaths and inequality in healthcare access, a report said Wednesday. China has reduced its child mortality rate, improving its ranking to seventh among the 75 countries that account for most of the world's maternal and child deaths, according to the report published by Save the Children. "We are seeing dramatic progress in reducing child mortality around the world, and particularly in China," Ben Hewitt, global campaign senior director for the international children's charity, told Xinhua. Main causes for preventable child deaths include diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhea, weak health systems and lack of health workers. "In China, there is a strong government commitment and input," Hewitt said, adding China was tackling the issue of child mortality through "strengthening information monitoring, improving the health service, completion of the maternal and healthcare legislation and health reform." Save the Children is now coordinating with the Chinese government to train frontline workers so health workers can reach every child, he said. According to the report, the number of under-five children dying annually from preventable causes globally has been reduced from 12 million in 1990 to 6.6 million in 2012. However, the world remains behind schedule to meet the fourth UN Millennium Development Goal of reducing preventable under-five mortality rates by two-thirds in 2015. Among the 75 countries surveyed, Niger, despite having a high child mortality rate, topped the list by demonstrating fast, equitable and sustainable progress toward cutting the number of under-fives dying unnecessarily since 1990. It is on track to achieving the nearly two-thirds reduction of child mortality rates by 2015. Other top 10 countries were Liberia, Rwanda, Indonesia, Madagascar, India, Egypt, Tanzania and Mozambique, the report said.