Countdown to 2015 Decade Report (2000–2010): Taking Stock of Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival

The Countdown report for 2010 contains good news—many countries are making progress, reducing mortality and increasing coverage of effective health interventions at an accelerating pace. But the news is not all good. Many Countdown countries are still off track for achieving Millennium Development Goals 4 (reduce child mortality) and 5 (improve maternal health), and are not increasing coverage of key health interventions quickly enough. Countdown countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are especially far behind, although a few have shown improvements.

The vast majority of maternal and child deaths are preventable, but unacceptably large numbers of women, newborns and children are still dying each year in Countdown countries, where at least 95% of all maternal and child deaths occur. A growing proportion of child deaths occur in the first four weeks of life.