KOLKATA: India topped the 2018 under-five death index leaving behind its poorer neighbours Nepal, Bangladesh and even Pakistan in UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children (SOWC) report 2019 released on Friday.
According to the report, out of every thousand, 882 children below the age of five died in India during the study period.
Pakistan ranked third with 409 deaths per one thousand, while Bangladesh stood 10th and Nepal 47th with 89 and 18 deaths per thousands, respectively.
India had dropped to 102 position in the Global Hunger Index released in October last. International Food Policy Index, which compiles the index had marked India serious, after the country fell seven spots over the last decade.
Malnutrition was the leading cause of the below five deaths, accounting for 69% of the deaths in the age group, the SOWC report said. (AGENCIES)
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