11m children a year die before age five

Almost 11 million children in developing countries die each year before the age of five, most of them from causes that are preventable in wealthier countries, the World Bank said in a report released yesterday.

The causes include acute respiratory infection, diarrhoea, measles and malaria, which together account for 48% of child deaths in the developing world, according to the report - called World Development Indicators.