May ‘a month of milestones for child health’ as millions take action globally
- More than 4.5 million people take part in aid agency’s Global Week of Action for
children’s health - World Health Assembly passes landmark resolution committing to saving newborn
babies - Global Health Summit hosted by Canada marks critical moment for hundreds of
millions of unseen and uncounted children
Tuesday, 3 June – A world where no child dies from preventable deaths is closer to a reality today than ever before. That’s the belief of aid agency World Vision after a remarkable month of action taken by people and governments around the world.
“In years to come, we will look back on May 2014 as a significant month of milestones for child health, when millions of people from around the world, and their leaders, took action and made a difference for children who die from birth complications, diarrhoea, lack of nutrition, and need,” said World Vision’s international director of campaigns, Andrew Hassett.
More than 4.5 million people in 71 countries took action through World Vision’s Child Health Now campaign in May. From Indonesia, where teenagers helped to inspire 700 people to hold their hands around the Bundaran Hi fountain (pictures available) in a symbolic gesture, to Bangladesh where groups of children in urban and rural communities joined with faith groups and government officials in more than 2,500 public events. Nearly 300,000 people prayed for child health at the Jharkhand Prayer Festival in India, more than 90,000 people took part in a letter-writing campaign in Nepal, 400 children and religious leaders spoke out in Afghanistan, Princess Ruth of the Tooro kingdom in Uganda gave her public support, and Congolese parliamentarians joined together to commit to reduce child mortality.
“When people around the world join together to speak out against injustices, they send a powerful message for change, and that is what we’re seeing now. Clearly, families and communities are unwilling to accept the reality that their children are dying from the most preventable of causes, and their leaders are responding,” said Hassett.
They responded at the World Health Assembly in Geneva in mid-May, where 194 countries put their support behind the Every Newborn Action Plan aiming to end all preventable deaths of newborn and stillborn babies by 2035. And they responded at the Global Health Summit in Canada in the last week of May, where, in front of global and industry leaders, the host government committed $3.5 billion to the health of mothers and children.
“This announcement is going to create global momentum that will save the children and mothers whose lives still hang in the balance,” said Dave Toycen, president and CEO of World Vision Canada. “We’re looking for Canada to leverage this commitment to reignite momentum and secure pledges from other donor countries, businesses, philanthropists, NGOs and developing countries. We’re seeing real change in the lives of children and women who have been reached so far, but we also see the incredible need in places like Afghanistan and South Sudan where the most vulnerable still need life-saving health services to reach them.”
The rates of children and mothers dying from preventable deaths have dropped faster in the last four years than ever before. However, more than six million children die before their fifth birthday, every year, and about three million of those don’t live beyond their first month. And it is the poorest and most vulnerable children who bear the brunt of this reality.
Amid these heartbreaking statistics are signs of hope, said Hassett. “Staggering numbers of people are showing they care and want more than just click on a link to show their concern.
“Our critical job now is to work with leaders and communities to ensure action that see countries deliver on their commitments so that children feel the benefit of this exciting, inspiring month.
“World Vision’s Child Health Now campaign will continue enabling and working alongside those most affected by the scourge of maternal and child deaths, to take action and demand change. We will continue to work over the coming months and years to support people everywhere to ensure leaders and communities take action to save children's lives.”