, March 13 -- The number of children who died before their fifth birthday has reached a historic low, dropping to 4.9 million in 2022, according to the latest estimates released by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) from Geneva on Wednesday.

"Behind these numbers lie the stories of midwives and skilled health personnel helping mothers safely deliver their newborns, health workers vaccinating and protecting children against deadly diseases, and community health workers who make home visits to support families to ensure the right health and nutrition support for children," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

"Through decades of commitment by individuals, communities, and nations to...