In a significant step towards meeting the MDGs for maternal and child health, the number of childhood deaths before the age of 5 dipped below 9 million per year for the first time on record. The New York Times featured this achievement, lauding the effects of a widening distribution of preventative measures such as vaccines, insecticide treated malaria nets, and breast-feeding. The article focuses specifically on Malawi, one of the countries most affected by childhood mortality as well as one of the most improved from 1990 to 2008.