Child Health Now Campaign
Health: children first!

Prioritising simple, low cost interventions could save millions of children’s lives every year, says aid agency.

World Vision launches Child Health Now campaign in 100 countries to reduce infant, child and maternal deaths. We want 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 saved each year.

More than 24,000 children are dying every day, most from preventable causes such as diarrhea, pneumonia, childbirth complications and malaria. “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” says Kevin Jenkins, World Vision International President and CEO.

We call on governments to focus on bolstering family and community-level health interventions, some of which cost as little as 30 cents. Such life-saving solutions as hand washing with soap, adequate nutrition and bed nets are a priority for too few leaders. “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.”

Sign the Child Health Now petition: http://www.childhealthnow.org/act/

For more information: http://www.childhealthnow.org/

World Vision’s newly released report demonstrating that progress can be made, even in the most resource-constrained contexts. Report available at http://www.worldvision.org/resources.nsf/main/press-child-health-now/$file/childhealthnowreport.pdf