World Water Day March 22: 4,000 children die daily from
unclean water and poor sanitation
Child Survival in the wake ofHaiti 's devastating earthquake
THE ISSUE:
WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?
WHY NOW?
Child Survival in the wake of
This year almost nine million children around the world could die
from basic illnesses before their fifth birthday. We stopped this happening in
rich countries? We can stop it in poor countries
too.
THE ISSUE:
24,000 children under
the age of five will die today - their lives cut short before they'd really
begun. Most of their deaths could have been prevented. But the reality is that
not every child has an equal chance of survival. Children from the poorest
communities are most likely to die.
A small number of
diseases and conditions are the biggest killers of young children today.
Pneumonia, measles, diarrhea, malaria, HIV and AIDS and complications during
pregnancy and after birth cause more than 90% of deaths in children under five.
Children who are malnourished are at far greater risk of dying from these
causes because they're too weak to fight disease.
Proven, low-tech and
inexpensive solutions exist to stop children dying. But they're simply not
being deployed on the scale needed to tackle the problem. What we need is the
will - from politicians, the public, aid agencies, companies, EVERY ONE - to
make it happen on a global scale.
WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?
Western governments
and donors need to double spending on basic healthcare and to combat malnutrition
in developing countries. But those countries also need to do their part by
creating national plans for tackling child mortality. Resources should be focused
on improving the health and nutrition of mothers and helping newborn babies
survive.
WHY NOW?
Right now, we've got a
massive opportunity. In 2000, world leaders promised to cut the number of
children under five who die by two-thirds by 2015 (Millennium Development Goal
4). We can do it - but only if we act now.
Find out how EVERY ONE can help.
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