According to the World Bank, World Development Indicators, Afghanistan has the highest child mortality rates in the world, with 257 infants and children under 5 years of age dying per every 1,000 births. Photo Credit: World Bank, World Development Indicators 2010 (Please click here for a larger version.)

Issues facing children in Afghanistan as reported by UNICEF

	Infant, under-five, and maternal mortality rates in Afghanistan are among the world’s highest. 25 per cent of children die before reaching their fifth birthday. 50 women die each day from pregnancy-related complications.
	More than half of all children are stunted.
	Because immunization coverage is still very low, preventable diseases kill thousands of children annually. Malaria (which afflicts approximately 2,000,000 people per year), measles, and respiratory infections are the leading causes of childhood death.
	The great majority of Afghanistan’s population lacks access to safe water or sanitation. Diarrhoeal diseases and tuberculosis are chronic threats to public health.
	2,000,000 children of primary school age do not attend classes. Literacy rates are low.
	The gender gap in education is narrowing, but girls still lag far behind boys in school enrolment.
	Landmines and unexploded ordnance pose a serious risk to children’s safety.