Closing the Gap: thousands call for action to improve health for all children

'Close the gap on global health poverty!' It's not only a call to action, but also a wake-up call, or even a mission statement for leaders. As examined in World Vision’s new report “The Killer Gap,"  world significant gaps are emerging between the rich and poor exacerbated by the lack of access to good healthcare and nutrition.

As thousands came together around the world, the mission statement seemed tangible. Ordinary people proved that through individual action we all have the power to Close the Gap – or as our campaigners became known to be a Gap Closer. 

During an exceptional 7 days of activity, citizens and communities in over 50 countries took part in the mobilisation. Here we share some of the amazing activities that Gap Closers from Uganda to Taiwan participated in:

Taiwan: World Vision Taiwan took the Close the Gap message to the streets with booths in shopping malls, department stores and train stations. Over the course of a month long campaign they will be engaging the public, young people, schools, World Vision staff, Celebrities such as Christine Fan and Tony Yang and sharing the message for all to see from the dizzying heights of the Taipai 101 tower (formerly the world’s tallest building) in central Taipai. You follow Close the Gap activities in Taiwan in their extensive photo album on Facebook.

Uganda: Child Health received a royal endorsement in Uganda when King Oyo of the Tooro Kingdom (the second largest region in Uganda) accepted the role of Child Health Good will ambassador. The King announced his new role after children asked him to become their representative during a community health fair. You can read the full story here.

Afghanistan: World Vision Afghanistan reached people through the media (Radio and TV), action groups and an engaging animation on malnutrition. Staff later lobbied key government stakeholders including the Minister of State for Parliamentary affairs Dr Hamayoun Azizi who show commitment to the campaign declared themselves as gap closers. You can watch Afghanistan’s animation here.

Geneva: As part of the mobilisation the World Vision Geneva office used local street dancers to urge decision makers to keep their promises on MDGs 4 and 5. Together with World Vision staff the street dancers used the Broken chair in the Place des Nations (a symbol of the yet unfulfilled MDGs) to demonstrate creative ways to Close the Gap. See the gallery here.

None of this would have been possible without the energy and enthusiasm of thousands of organisers and individuals around the world. Thank you for your commitment to improving child health everywhere. Keep an eye out for further updates and more stories in the coming days.