UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Across the globe, deaths of children under five years old have fallen by more than half since 2000, according to a report released Wednesday by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

However, the pace of reduction in child mortality has slowed by over 60 percent since 2015, the "Levels & Trends in Child Mortality" report said.

An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, and most of these deaths were preventable with proven, low-cost interventions and access to quality health care.

Newborn deaths accounted for nearly half of all under-five deaths, reflecting slower progress in preventing deaths around the time of birth, the report said.

Leading causes among newborns were complications from preterm birth and complications during labor and delivery, it said, adding that infections, including neonatal sepsis and congenital anomalies, were also important causes.

For the first time, the report estimated deaths directly caused by severe acute malnutrition, finding that more than 100,000 children aged 1 to 59 months died from it in 2024.

Child deaths remain highly concentrated geographically. In 2024, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 58 percent of all under-five deaths, followed by Southern Asia with 25 percent, according to the report.

"To accelerate progress and save lives, UNICEF calls on governments, donors and partners to make child survival a political and financing priority, to focus on those at highest risk, strengthen accountability and invest in primary healthcare systems," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said at a daily briefing. ■