SUMMARY

¨ The infant and under-five mortality rates in Afghanistan are among the highest in the world. Only Angola, Liberia and Sierra Leone have higher rates.

¨ The Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) and the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) are targeted to reduce by 50% of the 2003 levels by 2015 and by two-third by 2020.

¨ While progress in immunisation coverage worldwide and better awareness levels among parents on good child rearing practices and hygiene have contributed to the decline in U5MR, overall infant mortality remains high because of the high level of neonatal deaths.

¨ Most deaths among children under-five years of age in Afghanistan result from infectious causes, with diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections and vaccine-preventable illnesses accounting for nearly 60% of deaths.

¨ Lack of access to a clean water source and poor sanitation are the major contributory factors to poor health outcomes, with the majority of the population having no access to improved drinking water and improved sanitation facilities.

¨ Immunisation coverage of children has increased, but overall it is much higher in urban than in rural areas, and specifically so in major cities.Not surprisingly, infant and child mortality rates are around 20% lower in urban areas than in rural areas.

¨ The measles immunisation programme has been a success, with 75% children aged less than 12 months have been immunised. The values are similar for boys and girls.

AFGHANISTAN'S REVISED MDG TARGET AND INDICATORS

==> Reduce by 50%, between 2003 and 2015, the under-5 mortality rate, and further reduce it to 1/3 of the 2003 level by 2020

¨ Under-5 mortality rate
¨ Infant mortality rate
¨ Proportion of 1-year old children immunised against measles

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