#ChildMortality

Recent decades show a dramatic decline in early childhood deaths in wealthy nations, a public health achievement not always acknowledged in headlines. The trend reflects sustained investments in health systems, disease prevention, and social supports that have dramatically lowered a child’s risk of dying before age five. Data from international research underscores how vaccines, better prenatal and neonatal care, access to antibiotics, nutrition, and safer living conditions have reshaped child survival.

In recent decades, children born in wealthy countries are far less likely to die in early childhood than at any point in modern history—a fact highlighted by a wave of new research but rarely celebrated in global headlines. This profound decline in child mortality is among the most significant public health achievements of our time, yet its story is often overshadowed by other health challenges, leaving many unaware of the progress made and the factors driving these improvements Our World in Data.

A new World Health Organization assessment reveals a startling 33-year gap between the world’s highest and lowest life expectancies. The finding underscores persistent health disparities that persist across nations and within societies. The report, released in May 2025, stresses that where people are born, the opportunities they inherit, and social and economic structures largely shape health outcomes, not biology alone.

For Thai audiences, the implications are clear. Thailand must scrutinize its own health inequities—between urban and rural areas, and among ethnic and migrant communities—while pursuing inclusive growth and sustainable development. The global pattern reinforces the urgency of policy reforms that reach the most vulnerable and ensure fair access to health services.

A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed a staggering 33-year difference between the highest and lowest life expectancies globally, underscoring persistent and widening health inequities across nations and within societies. The findings, released on 6 May 2025, highlight that one’s health and longevity are shaped less by biology than by where one is born and raised, the opportunities available, and the degree to which social and economic structures expose individuals to disadvantage and discrimination (UN News).