The medical journal, The Lancet, has a free article that reviews why about 90 percent of child deaths worldwide occur in just 42 countries--and about one-fourth of these deaths occur before age 5 in the poorest countries, such as Angola and Niger.
Yet, 8 million of the 11 million childhood deaths worldwide each year could easily be prevented, says a Cornell University expert, writing in The Lancet. That's because almost 60 percent of deaths of children under 5 in the developing world are due to malnutrition and its interactive effects on preventable diseases.
It is not a lack of vaccines that is causing these children to die, but simply not enough protein and high-quality food.
The Lancet July 1, 2003