The gap in child survival rates between rich and poor has widened in urban areas, according to a report by Save the Children.
The report released on Tuesday found that despite overall progress in reducing child mortality rates around the world, children born to poor families in urban areas now face an increased risk because of growing economic inequality.
In two-thirds of the 40 developing countries included in the report, the poorest urban children were at least twice as likely to die before the age of five than their wealthier counterparts.
One of the main underlying reasons for the disparity is that poor urban mothers have little or no access to affordable public health care despite an abundance of hospitals in big cities, the report said.
"Our new report reveals a devastating child survival divide between the haves and the have-nots, telling a tale of two cities among urban communities around the world," Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children, said.
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The report also looked at 25 capital cities of wealthy countries and found that Washington DC had the largest disparity between rich and poor when it came to child mortality.
Children born in Washington's poorest neighbourhood are 10 times more likely to die before their first birthday than those born in the city's richest neighbourhood.
The report's recommendations include ensuring better health care for pregnant women and newborns, better access to contraception and providing subsidised health care in poor areas. DPA r
