When it comes to fighting poverty, numbers matter. 

Think about it: How can we end something if we don't even know how big it is to begin with?

The problem is, a lot of poverty-related numbers are big. Really big. Almost too big to get your head around. 

So today I'm kicking off an occasional series I like to call "By the Numbers." Each time I’ll take an enormous number related to a poverty, and break it down or put it in context so that it actually makes sense.

Today’s number: 5.9 million. That’s how many children worldwide are dying before age 5, according to a recent report from UNICEF.

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