Child deaths projected to rise for first time this century, as aid cuts reverse decades of progress

(CNN) — The number of children who die before age 5 is expected to rise for the first time this century, amid sweeping cuts to global health funding by high-income countries, according to a new report from the Gates Foundation.

Child mortality around the world is projected to reach an estimated 4.8 million deaths in 2025, an increase of 200,000 preventable deaths compared with last year, the Gates Foundation said in its new “Goalkeepers” report , which tracks global progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals . That represents a reversal of decades of global health progress, given that child mortality had decreased every other year since 2000.

“It is 100% avoidable. There is no reason why those children should be dying,” said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Founda