THE death of children under the age of five could be avoided through simple measures such as proper hand washing, an advocacy organisation has said.
World Vision South Africa launched the Child Health Now campaign on Wednesday. It focuses on reducing the number of children who die before their fifth birthday.
About 24000 children die every day globally, which amounts to ninemillion every year.
These children die of preventable diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, malaria, measles and HIV.
"Prevention is better and more cost-effective than treating children when they get ill. If countries want to ensure the survival of their next generation, they must focus on providing low-cost, low-technology interventions to keep young children and their mothers healthy," chief executive Lehlohonolo Chabeli said.
Chabeli said the global campaign's objective was to save six million babies a year from preventable diseases.
He said because the organisation worked in rural and peri-urban areas that did not have enough medical resources, the campaign intended to educate communities about prevention measures.
The focus will be on teaching mothers and families about the early identification of diseases, breast-feeding and clean birthing techniques, among other things.
World Vision said some diseases could be prevented through the provision of clean water, mosquito nets and vaccinations.
Initiative to save under-five babies
THE death of children under the age of five could be avoided through simple measures such as proper hand washing, an advocacy organisation has said.
World Vision South Africa launched the Child Health Now campaign on Wednesday. It focuses on reducing the number of children who die before their fifth birthday.
About 24000 children die every day globally, which amounts to ninemillion every year.
These children die of preventable diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, malaria, measles and HIV.
"Prevention is better and more cost-effective than treating children when they get ill. If countries want to ensure the survival of their next generation, they must focus on providing low-cost, low-technology interventions to keep young children and their mothers healthy," chief executive Lehlohonolo Chabeli said.
Chabeli said the global campaign's objective was to save six million babies a year from preventable diseases.
He said because the organisation worked in rural and peri-urban areas that did not have enough medical resources, the campaign intended to educate communities about prevention measures.
The focus will be on teaching mothers and families about the early identification of diseases, breast-feeding and clean birthing techniques, among other things.
World Vision said some diseases could be prevented through the provision of clean water, mosquito nets and vaccinations.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos