Ethiopia child mortality rate falls 40 percent: UNICEF

0 Comments | AFP, January, 2008

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — Ethiopia has reduced its child mortality rate by 40 percent over the last 15 years, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Wednesday.

"Under-five mortality rates have reduced by an impressive 40 percent between 1990 and 2006," it said in a statement a day after it issued its annual report on the state of the world's young people.

In 2006, 123 infants died per thousand born.

UNICEF highlighted a national immunisation programme against measles and the distribution of 20 million insecticide-treated bed nets in malaria-prone areas since 2005 -- enough to protect 10 million families.

"No Ethiopian child need die of preventable causes," said the country's health minister, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"A solid foundation...