Child Health and ONE's Policy Plan
How would your Administration make global children's health a priority? |
More than 10 million children, nearly all in developing countries, die each year before their fifth
birthday. That is 19 children every minute and equal to the total number of children under 5 living in the entire eastern half of the United States. Each year, the number of children who die before their fifth birthday is greater than the total number of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis deaths combined. Though child health is an issue that lacks the visual power of the casualty of a tsunami, its toll is much greater and is preventable. This is a battle that we can win - high child mortality rates are not because of a lack of science or knowledge but due to a lack of commitment and aggressive implementation.
Evidence for Action
Simple, cost-effective solutions can save millions of lives: Already proven effective solutions such as access to clean water, vaccinations and a basic healthcare package lower the risk of childhood death by two-thirds. Most childhood deaths are caused by preventable illnesses: measles, diarrhea, malnutrition and other ailments we no longer worry about in more affluent countries. Costeffective prevention and treatments can be delivered for less than $25 per child.
Previous successes demonstrate value: Each year, vitamin A supplementation saves over a quarter of a million young lives by reducing the risk and severity of diarrhea and infections and simple interventions for diarrhea such as oral rehydration therapy contribute annually to saving the lives of 1 million children. Both Bangladesh and Mexico have achieved dramatic improvements in their child survival rates and show that success is achievable.
Gains from improving child health: Investing in children’s health manifests real gains for many aspects of childhood. Healthy children are better educated and more productive adults, while the lack of health at a young age can lead to permanent impairment. For example, a 35% decrease in under-5 mortality in Bolivia
Child health: precursors to a healthy and productive life
While United States’ funding for headline grabbing diseases has increased over the past five years, funding for child survival has remained relatively flat. Progress towards improving child health can be achieved by: investing in improved health infrastructure that will allow consistent health care provision, making a commitment to support reproductive health, and investing in vaccine research including private sector incentives for vaccines that affect the developing world.
Other issues: HIV/AIDS | Malaria | Primary Education | Child Health | Maternal Health | Clean Water and Food
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Key Facts
- Saving these children's lives will change the way the world sees us - sees people in the West.
In an increasingly unstable world, this isn't just the right thing to do - it's the smart thing to
do.
- When millions of children around the world are dying from preventable diseases and hunger,
we have a moral obligation to do what we can to help. Being born in a particular country should not determine whether a child lives or dies.
- Improving and saving the lives of millions of children in the developing world is relatively
easy when compared to other development challenges. Most of the diseases that children under 5 in the developing world die from are things we consider nuisances in the developed world.
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