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Six million preventable child deaths - the biggest child rights violation...a silent emergency
World Vision launches five-year global campaign to end massive "child rights violation" of child and infant death Every 3.5 seconds a child under five dies: 24,000 deaths a day; almost nine million a year - India shares the highest burden of 1.95 million under five deaths.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, November 17, 2009 /India PRwire/ -- A new World Vision report - Child Health Now - Together We Can End Preventable Deaths" finds that the vast majority of these deaths are preventable if governments spent more on simple health interventions, recommitted themselves to reducing child and infant mortality and targeted health care at the most vulnerable .
Launched on Monday, November 16, the Child Health Now report calls on governments to bolster family and community health interventions, some of which cost as little as Rs.15 (USD 30 cents.)
Life-saving health measures for children are as simple as:
◦Providing basic vaccinations, oral rehydration sachets for children with diarrhoea, and vitamin and micronutrient supplements to boost immunity and growth
◦Exclusive breastfeed children in the first six months and prevent childhood malnutrition by feeding infants from six months with nutritious foods from cheap locally available sources
◦Improving access to basic community level maternal, neonatal and infant care services
However, World Vision's report found that despite the solutions being well known governments in the developed and underdeveloped world were failing children, especially the poor and marginalised.
"This is more than just a problem facing the developing world. It's a 'silent' emergency. And it is, I believe, the greatest child rights violation of our time," said Kevin Jenkins, World Vision International President.
Mr Jenkins added, "It is politics, not poverty that is killing these children. The politicians have made many promises, but the truth is that saving mothers and children from death is simply not a priority."
Speaking at the launch of the Global Child Health Campaign in New York, Dr. Jayakumar Christian, National Director of World Vision India said - "India is one of the countries that is highly unlikely to meet the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. India spends only 1.04% of GDP on health, which is 2.2% of the country's total budgetary expenditure."
"In World Vision's work with children in drought affected Rajasthan to the flood affected Karnataka, we see these invisible citizens of our nation on the verge of extreme vulnerability being exposed to hunger, under nutrition and water borne diseases. But we've also seen through our work with over 5000 poor communities across the country that progress is possible: But much more must be done by the government to meet their promise to cut child and mothers deaths by 2015," Dr. Christian added.
Dr. Sri Chander, World Vision's health advisor for the Asia Pacific, said: "Health spending is not targeted at the biggest killer diseases for children, or on things like clean water, sanitation and nutritious food. At least half of these preventable deaths have malnutrition as an underlying cause"
World Vision, which works with children and communities in almost 100 countries, is recalibrating its own development work to push US$1.5 billion into health programmes over the next five years. The agency also aims to ensure that government leaders deliver on their commitments to reduce child mortality by two-thirds by 2015 - equal to six million children's lives being saved a year.
World Vision's report - 'Child Health Now - Together We Can End Preventable Deaths" points to the experience of several low income countries that, through a mix of high-level political commitment and focussed policies, have made substantial cuts in child deaths, demonstrating that progress can be made, even in the most resource-constrained contexts.
With the hunger crisis, droughts and flood threats facing India, addressing life-or-death issues of children's health is even more urgent for government.
World Vision launches five-year global campaign to end massive "child rights violation" of child and infant death Every 3.5 seconds a child under five dies: 24,000 deaths a day; almost nine million a year - India shares the highest burden of 1.95 million under five deaths.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, November 17, 2009 /India PRwire/ -- A new World Vision report - Child Health Now - Together We Can End Preventable Deaths" finds that the vast majority of these deaths are preventable if governments spent more on simple health interventions, recommitted themselves to reducing child and infant mortality and targeted health care at the most vulnerable .
Launched on Monday, November 16, the Child Health Now report calls on governments to bolster family and community health interventions, some of which cost as little as Rs.15 (USD 30 cents.)
Life-saving health measures for children are as simple as:
◦Providing basic vaccinations, oral rehydration sachets for children with diarrhoea, and vitamin and micronutrient supplements to boost immunity and growth
◦Exclusive breastfeed children in the first six months and prevent childhood malnutrition by feeding infants from six months with nutritious foods from cheap locally available sources
◦Improving access to basic community level maternal, neonatal and infant care services
However, World Vision's report found that despite the solutions being well known governments in the developed and underdeveloped world were failing children, especially the poor and marginalised.
"This is more than just a problem facing the developing world. It's a 'silent' emergency. And it is, I believe, the greatest child rights violation of our time," said Kevin Jenkins, World Vision International President.
Mr Jenkins added, "It is politics, not poverty that is killing these children. The politicians have made many promises, but the truth is that saving mothers and children from death is simply not a priority."
Speaking at the launch of the Global Child Health Campaign in New York, Dr. Jayakumar Christian, National Director of World Vision India said - "India is one of the countries that is highly unlikely to meet the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. India spends only 1.04% of GDP on health, which is 2.2% of the country's total budgetary expenditure."
"In World Vision's work with children in drought affected Rajasthan to the flood affected Karnataka, we see these invisible citizens of our nation on the verge of extreme vulnerability being exposed to hunger, under nutrition and water borne diseases. But we've also seen through our work with over 5000 poor communities across the country that progress is possible: But much more must be done by the government to meet their promise to cut child and mothers deaths by 2015," Dr. Christian added.
Dr. Sri Chander, World Vision's health advisor for the Asia Pacific, said: "Health spending is not targeted at the biggest killer diseases for children, or on things like clean water, sanitation and nutritious food. At least half of these preventable deaths have malnutrition as an underlying cause"
World Vision, which works with children and communities in almost 100 countries, is recalibrating its own development work to push US$1.5 billion into health programmes over the next five years. The agency also aims to ensure that government leaders deliver on their commitments to reduce child mortality by two-thirds by 2015 - equal to six million children's lives being saved a year.
World Vision's report - 'Child Health Now - Together We Can End Preventable Deaths" points to the experience of several low income countries that, through a mix of high-level political commitment and focussed policies, have made substantial cuts in child deaths, demonstrating that progress can be made, even in the most resource-constrained contexts.
With the hunger crisis, droughts and flood threats facing India, addressing life-or-death issues of children's health is even more urgent for government.
