WHO hails progress on child survival

The World Health Organization (WHO) has hailed the improvement in child survival rates across the globe over the last year.

According to the group, about 15 million children are born pre-term each year. However, WHO stated that the number of babies that survive is going up.

This, it said, is one of the "key public health milestones" that has been achieved across the globe throughout 2012.

India's successes in tackling polio transmission this year were also said to be particularly noteworthy, along with it reaching its Millennium Development Goal target on drinking water.

WHO went on to state that it has devoted lots of time to improving access to contraceptives across the developing world.

This, it said, has been complemented by the rollout of guidance on how to use anti-retroviral drugs, which can help to curb the transmission of HIV.

WHO added that it has aided in various disease outbreaks throughout the last 12 months, as well as encouraged nations to step up their "testing, treating and tracking all cases of malaria".