distant children

The number of children dying before their 5th birthdays each year continues to decrease globally. From 12.5 million in 1990 to 8.8 million in 2008.

One of the largest drops in child mortality has occurred in Malawi, a country in southeastern Africa that is so poor that half the children who do make it are stunted by malnutrition. It is so bereft of doctors and nurses that workers with 10th-grade educations dispense medicines.