Partnership Hopes to Cut Death Rate of Ethiopian Children From Disease
The Child Survival Partnership,
which was announced
December 17, will unite public
and private sectors, including
the Ethiopian government,
local community groups, inter-
national aid groups, and NGOs.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia—Almost half a million children in Ethiopia die each year of preventable diseases—such as measles, malaria, pneumonia, micronutrient deficiency, and diarrhea—because of a weak healthcare system.
Dozens of international aid groups are working to improve the situation, but a new alliance announced on December 17—The Child Survival Partnership—hopes to make a difference by increasing resources and using proven interventions. The group brings together UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, the Canadian International Development Agency, and USAID. The goal is to make headway toward one of the world’s development goals: reducing child mortality by two-thirds by 2015.
WHO says that 185 of every 1,000 male children born in Ethiopia die before age 5. For girls, the rate is slightly lower: 170 deaths per 1,000.
The Child Survival Partnership was set up at the May G-7 summit in Ottawa, Canada. Ethiopia is the first country to be part of the alliance, which is expected to announce similar efforts in other countries in the coming year.
“We have a major opportunity to improve the health of Ethiopian children and their families,” said Assistant Administrator for Global Health E. Anne Peterson. “There is a solid foundation of sound policy and direction upon which to build. Improving child health is within our reach.”
Peterson visited Ethiopia in December, along with high-ranking officials from WHO and UNICEF.
WHO Assistant Director General Joy Phumaphi praised Ethiopia’s commitment to improving the welfare of children. “I am…encouraged by their efforts to respond to child health needs,” she said.
Independent of the partnership, USAID announced a five-year $18-million child health program in three Ethiopian regions. A $400,000 grant is dedicated to immunization efforts; $500,000 to fight malaria, the main child killer in Ethiopia; and $400,000 for Vitamin A supplementation.
The goal of the Child Survival Partnership is to help the government implement its new health extension package to provide health workers to communities outside the main cities, share methods of proven intervention, and improve coordination in the healthcare sector.
Related Links
|
