Every child deserves the best possible start in life
Updated October 2025
More children are surviving their early years than ever before. Since 2000, global under-5 mortality has fallen by more than half, saving millions of lives. Yet our work is far from finished.
In 2023, 4.8 million children under five died from largely preventable causes—13,100 children every single day. Rising inequality, conflict, pandemics and the climate crisis threaten to reverse decades of progress.
In 2024, our health and nutrition programmes reached 41.2 million children across some of the world's most challenging environments. Every day, our doctors, nurses and community health workers are delivering lifesaving care in hard-to-reach communities, from remote villages to active conflict zones.
We're determined to change the odds for every child. By pressuring governments, working with global partners and strengthening community healthcare systems, we're building a future where no child dies from preventable illness.
We have to make sure all children get the care they need for the best possible start in life.
Key Facts & Figures
Global child health challenges:
13,100 children under five die every day from preventable causes (2023)
Nearly half of all under-5 deaths are newborns in their first 28 days of life
Infectious diseases—including pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria—remain leading killers despite being preventable and treatable
One child in five misses routine immunisations, leaving them vulnerable to deadly diseases
Our impact in 2024:
41.2 million children reached through health and nutrition programmes
Our Emergency Health Unit directly reached 481,000 people, including 135,000 children, providing care in crisis zones
1,805 health personnel trained to build stronger, more resilient health systems
Fatima's story: From crisis to recovery
When drought hit Amina’s home in Somalia, she lost her livestock and her means of providing food for her children. Just like that, life changed. At just nine months old, severe malnutrition left her baby Fatima too weak to stand.
That’s when Amina found our treatment centre. Fatima was given nutritional milk, therapeutic food and antibiotics. After 10 days of treatment, Fatima had started to recover and had visibly put on weight.
Five months on, Fatima is thriving and enjoying playing with her big sister Fatun.
“When Fatima got sick, I cried. When I see my sister happy and healthy, I am happy for her. I carried her and gave her a kiss”, says Fatun.
How we're transforming child health worldwide
Furaha*, a young mother from North Kivu, fled conflict with her children and now lives in a displacement camp near Goma. When her baby David* fell ill with mpox, she found lifesaving care at a Save the Children Emergency Health Unit and is now hopeful as he begins to recover.
Responding to emergencies with expert care
Our Emergency Health Unit deploys expert doctors, nurses, midwives and specialists at a moment's notice to crisis zones worldwide. With decades of experience, the team provides physical and mental healthcare to children in some of the hardest-to-reach places.
In 2024, the Emergency Health Unit set up maternity units and integrated primary healthcare centres in Gaza, treated over 40,000 patients, delivered 186 babies, and trained more than 50 health staff—building local capacity while saving lives.
Protecting girls from Female Genital Mutilation
We're raising awareness of the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation and training health workers to support affected girls with compassionate, specialist care.
Fighting pneumonia: The biggest infectious killer
Pneumonia kills more children than any other infectious disease. We're tackling this preventable killer through:
Installing life-saving oxygen equipment in health facilities
Training hundreds of healthcare workers in diagnosis and treatment
Working with partners like GSK and research institutions to improve respiratory care
Advocating for increased investment in childhood pneumonia prevention
Read our latest World Pneumonia Day report to discover how community-led approaches are reducing pneumonia deaths.
Mauwa*, 25, is attending a clinic where her daughter, Solange*, 5 months old, is undergoing treatment for pneumonia. Her daughter is being treated with the support of Save the Children in Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Expanding immunisation coverage
Through our No Child Born to Die campaign, we secured a £1 billion government pledge for immunisation programmes in lower-income countries. Additional donations followed—enough to vaccinate 300 million more children against deadly diseases.
Vaccines are one of the most cost-effective health interventions available, yet one in five children still misses routine immunisations. We're working to close this gap and ensure every child is protected.
Strengthening primary healthcare systems
Healthcare starts at the community level. Our Primary Health Care First report explores how strengthening the foundation of healthcare systems is critical to achieving universal health coverage by 2030.
We're supporting governments and communities to:
Train and equip community health workers
Improve access to maternal and newborn care
Ensure essential medicines reach remote areas
Build climate-resilient health systems
Transforming healthcare in conflict-affected regions
Democratic Republic of Congo: In partnership with GSK, we're renovating health facilities, training staff and improving medical supplies. Over five years, we aim to bring essential healthcare to 700,000 children.
South Sudan: At Nimule Hospital, we're offering vital healthcare to a population of 270,000. With 10 trained midwives, it's become one of South Sudan's leading maternal care facilities, safely delivering six babies every day.
The journey of a vaccine
Our reports: Evidence driving change
Primary health care first: Strengthening the foundation of universal healthcare coverage
While strengthening primary health care has long been a core component of the health agenda, research into primary health care expenditure has been limited. Primary Health Care First seeks to understand and address that gap, an urgent priority for saving lives and a critical first step toward achieving universal health coverage by 2030 under the Sustainable Development Goals.
Fighting for Breath: A call for action on childhood pneumonia
Turns a spotlight on the inequalities, policy failures and indifference holding back progress on tackling childhood pneumonia, the number one infectious killer of children, and proposes a way forward. Read the Country Briefings to accompany this report.
Further, Faster, Fairer: Reaching every last child with immunisation
Explores which groups of children are missing out on immunisation and the barriers they face.
Within Our Means: Why countries can afford Universal Health Coverage
Why all developing countries can afford to increase spending on health, through different policy decisions and public spending.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main causes of child deaths worldwide?
The leading causes of death for children under five include infectious diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, alongside complications from preterm birth and childbirth. Nearly half of all under-5 deaths occur in the newborn period—the first 28 days of life. The tragedy is that most of these deaths are preventable with access to basic healthcare, clean water, nutrition and vaccines.
How many children does Save the Children reach with health programmes?
In 2024, our health and nutrition programmes reached 41.2 million children worldwide. We work in 93 countries, providing everything from emergency medical care and vaccinations to maternal health services and treatment for malnutrition. Our programmes focus on reaching the most marginalised children in the hardest-to-access communities.
What is Save the Children's Emergency Health Unit?
Our Emergency Health Unit is a rapid-response team of expert doctors, nurses, midwives and health specialists ready to deploy anywhere in the world within hours of a disaster or conflict. In 2024, the unit directly reached 481,000 people, including 135,000 children, setting up health facilities, training local staff and providing life-saving care in some of the world's most dangerous places.
Why is pneumonia called the biggest infectious killer of children?
Pneumonia kills more children than any other infectious disease, yet it's both preventable and treatable. Many children die simply because they lack access to antibiotics, oxygen therapy or trained healthcare workers who can recognise the symptoms. We're working to change this by improving respiratory care, training health workers and installing pulse oximeters in frontline health facilities so children get diagnosed and treated quickly.
How does Save the Children support maternal and newborn health?
We support mothers and babies through pregnancy, birth and beyond by training midwives, equipping health facilities with essential supplies, and providing antenatal and postnatal care. In places like South Sudan, our facilities deliver babies safely every day and have become leading centres for maternal care. We also provide nutritional support and education on sexual and reproductive health so families can plan for healthy births.
What role do community health workers play in your programmes?
Community health workers are the backbone of primary healthcare in many remote and underserved areas. In 2024, we trained health workers and providers who bring essential services directly to communities—from treating childhood illnesses and monitoring nutrition to educating families about disease prevention. By building local capacity, we create sustainable healthcare systems that continue serving children long after our projects end.
How does conflict affect children's health?
Conflict destroys healthcare infrastructure, disrupts supply chains and forces families to flee their homes, cutting them off from medical care. In 2023, countries affected by fragility and conflict accounted for nearly half of all under-5 deaths despite representing only a quarter of births globally. Our Emergency Health Unit works in active conflict zones, providing care when children need it most and training local health staff to continue serving their communities.
Why are immunisations so important for child survival?
Vaccines are one of the most effective and affordable ways to protect children from deadly diseases. Yet one in five children worldwide still misses routine immunisations, leaving them vulnerable to preventable illnesses. Through partnerships and advocacy, we've helped secure funding to vaccinate 300 million more children. When children are fully immunised, entire communities become safer and healthier.
How is climate change affecting children's health?
Rising temperatures, floods, droughts and extreme weather events are making children sick and destroying the systems that keep them healthy. Heatwaves increase the risk of dehydration and heat-related illnesses, while floods spread waterborne diseases. Climate-related disasters damage health facilities and disrupt food production, leading to malnutrition. We're building climate-resilient health programmes and advocating for climate action that protects children's right to health.
What can I do to support child health?
Your support helps us reach more children with life-saving healthcare. You can donate to our emergency appeals, become a regular giver to fund long-term health programmes, or campaign with us for policies that protect children's health. Every contribution—whether financial support, raising awareness or advocating for change—helps create a world where every child can survive and thrive.
