摘要:The fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) aims to reduce child mortality according to the target: ‘Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-5 mortality rate’ (U5MR). The 2009 MDG report stated ‘Although data on this target are problematic and at times contentious, significant progress in individual African countries has been registered, although the rate of progress at the continental level is poor. The U5MR in Africa dropped from 166 per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 160 per 1,000 live births in 2006’ and later ‘It is clear that the continent as a whole is unlikely to meet this U5MR target, if current trends continue. This calls for renewed and intensified efforts by African governments and their development partners to scale up interventions to reduce the U5MR. Access to and utilisation of basic health services need to be increased and made more equitable. To reduce the wide gap between rural and urban areas, more resources should be allocated to public health interventions, including environmental health, in rural areas.’ (Published: 30 August 2010) Citation: Global Health Action Supplement 1, 2010. DOI: 10.3402/gha.v3i0.5476