World Health Day - April 7, 2007
Invest in Health, Build a Safer Future
Health and well-being lie at the core of every individual, every community, and every nation. A health system can define a nation, and a government’s response to the health needs of its citizens can influence the shape of the state itself. In the developing world, the relationship between health and development is particularly close, with health fostering the social and economic development that, in turn, will nurture future well-being and productivity. Deteriorating health outcomes have proven to deepen poverty, hinder growth, and divide societies.
USAID programs in global health represent the commitment and determination of the US government to prevent suffering, save lives, and create a brighter future for families in the developing world.
- HIV/AIDS – Through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief -- a $15 billion initiative -- the United States is leading the world’s global response to the pandemic of HIV/AIDS. USAID is a key partner of the Emergency Plan, having supported implementation of more than 60 percent of Emergency Plan programs in fiscal year 2006, including allocating close to $2 billion in PEPFAR funds. USAID supports HIV/AIDS programs in nearly 100 countries in all regions of the developing world.
-
Malaria – At least 1 million infants and children under age 5 in sub-Saharan Africa die each year from malaria – one approximately every 30 seconds. The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) is already saving lives and has reached more than 6 million Africans in a little more than one year. The goal of the five-year, $1.2 billion initiative is to reduce deaths due to malaria by 50 percent in 15 African countries This year, an additional 30 million people are expected to benefit from lifesaving treatment and prevention measures.
- Tuberculosis – The U.S. is on the frontlines of the battle against TB, which strikes people during their economically productive years and takes a tremendous toll, especially on poor families in developing countries. Every year, nearly nine million people develop TB and in 2005, 1.6 million people died of the disease. USAID’s Tuberculosis Control Program improves TB control in 37 countries, including 17 of the 26 countries the World Health Organization considers “high burden” areas.
- Emerging Disease – New, highly contagious diseases, such as SARS and avian influenza, know no borders. Their potential to cause international harm means that outbreaks cannot be treated as purely national issues. In the last few decades, new diseases began emerging at an unprecedented rate of one or more per year.
- Avian Influenza – USAID plays a vital role in supporting the U.S. Government's efforts to prevent the spread of avian influenza (AI) and minimize its potential threat to the global community. USAID is strengthening global planning and preparedness, improving early-warning disease surveillance, and supporting an efficient and timely response to AI outbreaks.
- International Crises and Humanitarian Emergencies – These events kill and maim individuals and severely stress the health systems that people rely on for personal health security. From October 1, 2005, to September 30, 2006, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) responded to 74 disasters affecting more than 173 million people in 55 countries.
- Environmental Health – Every year, over 1.8 million people—the vast majority children under 5--die from diarrhea related to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene. USAID works to improve water quality and hygiene through household-level water treatment and safe storage interventions. These simple steps can lead to dramatic improvements in drinking water quality, with typical reductions in diarrheal disease of 30 percent to 50 percent or more.
-
 |
| |
Read more about USAID’s work in maternal health. Source: Richard Nyberg, USAID/Senegal |
Nutrition – Malnutrition remains the world’s most serious health problem and the largest contributor to child mortality. USAID promotes seven Essential Nutrition Actions, including exclusive breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding, adequate nutritional care during illness, and adequate intake of vitamin A, iron, and iodine.
- Maternal Health – Worldwide, every minute of every day, a woman dies of pregnancy-related complications. The annual toll is 500,000 deaths during pregnancy or childbirth. USAID promotes a continuum of care for the mother, newborn and child, from pre-pregnancy until children are older than age five. USAID programs foster community involvement; promote evidence-based policies; improve access to and quality of health services; and equip birth attendants with the knowledge, skills, drugs, and supplies to deliver lifesaving care and reduce the toll of preventable maternal and neonatal mortality.
- Child Health – USAID programs help save more than 6 million infants and children each and every year, but 10 million die of preventable causes every year. Since 1990, USAID has provided over $2.5 billion in assistance to help child survival programs save children’s lives through such interventions as ORT; vitamin A supplements; immunizations against Haemophilus influenzae type b; and use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
- Family Planning – Every year, more than half a million women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth and at least 11 million children under age 5 die in developing countries. Family planning can prevent nearly one quarter of these deaths by helping couples avoid child-bearing during times of high health risk for mothers and children. The availability of family planning does more than enable women and men to limit family size. It safeguards individual health, preserves our planet's resources, and improves the quality of life for individual women, their partners, and their children.
Additional Information
|
