The Asia-Pacific region has been successful in its attempts at reducing under-five mortality rate, which has been steadily declining from 90 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 58 in 2005. The rate declined in the SAARC region as well, however, at a lesser pace. The rate declined from a startling 129 per 1,000 births in 1990 to 82 in 2005.The most worrying case is that of Afghanistan where the under-five mortality rate has seen hardly any change. With 257 child deaths per 1,000 live births, Afghanistan has the highest such rate in the world after Sierra Leone, the Niger and Angora. Singapore and Japan are the best performers recording just 3 and 5 deaths respectively for 2005. The figures for India have come down from 123 in 1990, to 74 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005.In a reversal of the trend, the rate for Turkmenistan saw an increase — from 97 deaths in 1990 to 104 of every 1,000 live births in 2005. Similarly, Kazakhstan saw the figures jump from 63 in 1990 to 73 for 2005. The World Health Organization estimates that over 50 per cent of all under-five deaths are caused by malnutrition. Income differentials are important determinants to this mortality rate — high-income countries show a lower under-five mortality rate compared to middle- and low-income nations.
