India has emerged as a key contributor to global progress in reducing child mortality, according to the latest United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME) Report 2025.The report highlighted the country’s sustained and large-scale efforts in improving child survival outcomes, particularly across neonatal and under-five mortality indicators. The outcome underscored the strength of a strong central and state-steered, standards-driven public health system, wherein India had demonstrated resolute efforts to translate national vision into measurable last-mile impact, said the report.The neonatal mortality rate has recorded a decline of 70 per cent, falling from 57 in 1990 to 17 in 2024. The under-five mortality rate witnessed a sharp drop of 79 per cent, coming down from 127 in 1990 to 27 in 2024.Over the past two decades, India has played a pivotal role in efforts to reduce child mortality in the South Asia region, which has witnessed a 76 per cent decline in under-five deaths since 1990 and 68 per cent fall since 2000. The sharp reduction is largely driven by countries like India through targeted public health interventions, improved institutional delivery systems and expanded immunisation coverage.The region’s under-five mortality rate has fallen significantly–from 92 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to nearly 32 in 2024, reflecting sustained progress in child health outcomes.India’s focused interventions have contributed to reducing deaths caused by preventable conditions such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and birth-related complications.The report underscores that a majority of child deaths are preventable or treatable and India’s scaling up of interventions such as universal immunisation programme, facility-based newborn care, integrated management of neonatal and childhood illnesses has significantly improved survival rates.India’s improvement in neonatal care systems has been particularly impactful. Across South Asia, neonatal deaths declined by nearly 60 per cent since 2000 and mortality in children aged 1–59 months declined by over 75 per cent.While South Asia still accounts for nearly 25 per cent of global under-five deaths, the region has made one of the fastest reductions globally, positioning India as a leader among high-burden countries.