Child deaths 'must be reduced'
Tuesday, 22 Jan 2008 15:08
In sub-Saharan Africa one child in six dies before they reach the age of five
Strategies have been announced by the charity Unicef to prevent thousands of children dying before their fifth birthday.
Recent figures have shown a fall in the rate of under-five mortality, but more than 26,000 children under five continue to die each day.
In sub-Saharan
Africa one child in six dies before they reach the age of five and in 2006 almost half of all under-five deaths occurred in the region, even though less than one quarter of the world's children live there.
A Unicef report released today describes a number of affordable life-saving measures that could reduce child mortality.
These include exclusive breastfeeding, immunisation, vitamin A supplementation and insecticide-treated bed nets.
The report also calls for greater access to treatment and means of prevention to reduce deaths from pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, malnutrition and HIV.
"Stepping up investment in health systems will be crucial if we are to meet the child health targets set by the United Nations, but progress can be made even when health systems are weak," said Dr Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organisation.
"Innovative programs in many countries show that an integrated approach where each child is reached with a package of interventions at one time can bring immediate benefits."
Former England captain David Beckham visited Sierra Leone in the run-up to the release of the report as part of his role as a Unicef goodwill ambassador.
"In Sierra Leone, one in four children dies before reaching their fifth birthday," he said.
"It's shocking and tragic, especially when the solutions are simple. We can't turn a blind eye to the tens of thousands of young children who die every day in the developing world, mostly from causes that are preventable."