Child Health Now (Baal Swasthya Abhi) Campaign launched in India
A World Vision Report narrates the poignant story of India's 1.9 million children who die every year of preventable diseases; World Vision India's campaign- 'Child Health Now' (Baal Swastya Abhi) aims to mitigate this evil
Tweet-- Despite being touted as one of the fastest growing countries in the World, India continues to lag behind in terms of Child Health according to World Vision, a humanitarian organisation working among children. Dr. Dean Hirsch, World Vision's Global Ambassador, launched the organization's five year campaign in India-'Child Health Now' in the capital here today. The campaign aims to mitigate this problem which is inching towards formidable levels in the country. Also present at the launch was Shri. Pradip Jain Aditya, Minister of State, Rural Development, Government of India.
Launching the Campaign, Dr. Dean Hirsch said: "Child Health Now is World Vision's contribution to the growing chorus of leaders from the UN, NGOs and other organisations calling for urgent action to save mothers and their children from preventable deaths."
Worldwide every 3.5 seconds a child under five dies: 24,000 deaths a day; almost nine million a year and India shares the highest burden of 1.95 million under five deaths, as stated in the Child Health Now-Together We Can End Preventable Deaths report. The irony is that a vast majority of these deaths are preventable if governments spent more on simple health interventions, recommitted themselves to reducing child and infant mortality and targeted health care at the most vulnerable places, according to the Child Health Now report. In most cases malnutrition is the underlying cause of death in at least 35% of all child deaths.
India joins the ranks of countries like Afghanistan and Zambia which are in the list of the twenty countries with the highest rates of child deaths per 1000 children. According to the report in 2007, in India, Child Mortality Rate and the availability of health workers stood at abysmal levels of 110 deaths per 1000 live births and only 1.9 Health workers for 1000 children. The report says that the under five deaths in 2007 stood at an astonishing high of 1,953,000.
Dr. Jayakumar Christian, National Director of World Vision India said: "India is one of the countries that is highly unlikely to meet the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. India spends only 1.06% of GDP on health, which is 2.3% of the country's total budgetary expenditure."
"In World Vision's work with children in drought affected Rajasthan to the flood affected Karnataka a few months back, we see these invisible citizens of our nation on the verge of extreme vulnerability being exposed to hunger, under nutrition and water borne diseases. But we've also seen through our work with over 5000 poor communities across the country that progress is possible: But much more must be done by the government to meet their promise to curtail child and mothers deaths by 2015," Dr. Christian added.
The report further claims that 25% of the urban women & 41% of rural women had a low Bio Mass Index. Moreover in only 38% of the cases a skilled attendant was present at delivery and only 18% of the rural population was using improved sanitation facilities.
The government has been introducing a slew of schemes & measures intended to improve the welfare of children but in some states these schemes are still enmeshed in corruption and its effective implementation still mired in bureaucratic hurdles.
The report says that globally 60% or 0.90 million deaths due to diarrhea could be saved if proper care is taken. Further, 20% or 0.14 million deaths due to malaria could be saved if simple measures like insecticide treated bed nets, local residual spraying, improved nutrition, vitamin A and zinc, early identification and referral were implemented. In the case of maternal deaths 25% or 0.13 million deaths could be saved if steps like later marriage and birth spacing, provision of iron folate and calcium supplements, clean birth practices and hand washing of mother and birth attendant, immediate breastfeeding were adopted. Globally over 2.5 million deaths could be averted if timely health interventions are taken.
Notes to Editor
About World Vision India:
World Vision India is a Christian humanitarian organization working to create lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities living in poverty and injustice. World Vision India serves all people regardless of religion, caste, race, ethnicity and gender. Spread across 207 projects in India, World Vision India works through long-term sustainable community development programmes and immediate disaster relief assistance.