98 The number of countries which may not reach the MDG target for under-five mortality
Millennium Development Goal 4 : Reduce child mortality
Target : Reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five
The latest year for which firm estimates of under-five mortality are widely available is 2002. This is also the year that roughly marks the midpoint of the MDG target period, 1990-2015, so it is well suited to serve as a reference point for assessing progress.
It now seems likely that 90 countries, 53 of them developing nations, could reduce child mortality by two thirds by 2015 – if they maintain their current annual reduction rate. But 98 developing countries lag behind.
Source: UNICEF, Progress For Children: A Child Survival Report Card, Vol. 1 New York, 2004.
