The State of the World's Children 1993. The age of neglect may be giving way to an age of concern.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates that, with an annual investment of $25 billion, it should be possible to control major childhood illnesses, halve child malnutrition, provide clean water and sanitation to all communities, universalize family planning services, and provide almost every child with a basic education. Achieving these goals will mean that developing countries must devote more than the current levels of 10% of their budgets to them and that more than the current 10% of international aid must be similarly directed. UNICEF finds reason to hope that public and political support will be mobilized in this direction because the 80% immunization target for children in developing countries has been met. The 1990 World Summit for Children outlined overall goals for the years 1990-2000 as well as specific goals to provide protection for women and girls and to improve nutrition, child health, and educational opportunities. The state of the world's children can be seen at a glance from the table of basic indicators which is included in this newsletter and which ranks countries in descending order of their estimated 1991 under age five years mortality rate. Additional figures are provided for the 1991 infant mortality rate, the percentage of infants with low birth weight in 1990, life expectancy at birth in 1991, the percentage of first grade enrollment finishing primary school, total population, the annual population growth rate for 1990-91, the per capita gross national product in 1990, and the percentage of fully immunized children in 1990-91 (broken down for tuberculosis; diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus; polio; and measles).