“The number of children dying before their fifth birthdays each year has fallen below nine million for the first time on record, a significant milestone in the global effort to improve children’s chances of survival, particularly in the developing world, according to data that UNICEF will release on Thursday. The child mortality rate has declined by more than a quarter in the last two decades — to 65 per 1,000 live births last year from 90 in 1990 — in large part because of the widening distribution of relatively inexpensive technologies, like measles vaccines and anti-malaria mosquito nets.”
(Credit to Source, NY Times Report)
The above article deals with child mortality rates all over the world, although the setting of the article takes place in Malawi, Africa.
Photo credited to NY Times Photography
The context of the article is simple: over the last two decades, child mortality rates have decreased substantially around the globe. This is in no small part due to organizations such as UNICEF or “philanthropists like Bill and Melinda Gates who have committed billions of dollars to the effort. Schoolchildren and church groups have also pitched in, paying for mosquito nets and feeding programs. Taken together, they have helped cut the number of children under 5 who died last year to 8.8 million — the lowest since records were first kept in 1960, UNICEF said — from 12.5 million in 1990.”
The above two quotes, both taken from a recent article in the New York Times should bring a smile to just about all of our faces. In a world where negativity rules and where the media is driven by ratings and therefore uses negative press and headlines to sell, it is a real treat to see a positive piece of news coming out. Of course saying this news is positive is an understatement in my opinion. Having spent years and decades being told about the impoverished conditions around the world and how children around the world suffer from disease, malnutrition and more, it is truly an amazing piece of news to hear that things are finally getting better around the world.
Not only is it great to see people like Bill Gates donating billions of dollars around the world to help these impoverished people, it is great to finally see some results as well. Some people may say that 10 000 fewer kids dying a day isn’t that great of a number considering the massive number of deaths that still occur daily, but 10 000 is better than zero and before we know it, 10 000 will turn to 20 000 and 20 000 will turn into 100 000 fewer children dying every single day.
Of course the decline in child mortality rates is also due to an increase in our technology. With newfound technologies, we now have many new vaccines and medicines that we can distribute to these third world countries, and with other new technologies we are now able to send these medicines over to the impoverished countries of the world, allowing children to live longer than they ever have before. Many people may not realize this, but this technology is not as expensive as it has been made out to be, in fact many of these technologies are in fact quite cheap. We now live in a world where such simple, cheap and efficient technologies such as anti-malaria nets or basic immunizations and vaccines can not only be mass produced at a very low cost, but they can also be mass distributed rapidly and efficiently to children not just in Africa, but all over the world.
- Photo credited to NY Times Photography
While it is great that people such as Bill Gates are investing billions of dollars into helping these children or that there are organizations out there like Unicef that are seeking to help people all around the world, a large portion of the help that these children need is still not being provided. Over 50% of the child deaths that occur worldwide still occur in Africa and although child mortality rates are decreasing, the total mortality rate for children in Africa is still increasing. Part of this anomaly can be explained by extremely high fertility rates in many of the African countries.
While the decrease in child mortality rates globally is great news, there is still a lot of work to be done. Further investment is needed in technologies like vaccinations, HIV/AIDS research, different medicines and protection from viruses like Malaria. Thankfully, many new groups and organizations have begun to follow in the footsteps of UNICEF, by beginning to research into these new technologies in hopes of finding that one cure or medicine that will effectively help eradicate child mortality. ONE is a global advocacy group that is dedicated to fighting poverty and eradicating diseases and deaths, especially in Africa. They are just one of the many groups that are following in Unicef’s steps and trying to help make a difference in the world.
The best part about organizations like Unicef and ONE is that not only can anyone donate to them, anyone can join them and help make a difference worldwide. While money is extremely important for research into new technologies as well as distributing vaccinations and medicines worldwide, organizations also need people to help volunteer by going door to door and asking for donations or even travelling to Africa to help administer these new medicines and vaccinations. While organizations like Unicef and people like Bill Gates are making a huge difference worldwide, at the end of the day it is the people who do go door to door asking for donations or those who do choose to head over to Africa to help the children there who are helping make a huge difference in the lives of many of these children, because at the end of the day, it will take a team to help eradicate poverty around the world and it is up to everyone to band together and help those less fortunate than themselves.
- Organizations model themselves after UNICEF (picture credited to UNICEF)
Naturally there is still a lot of work to be done. Unicef and the Gates have invested billions of dollars over the years just to bring the mortality rate down a bit, and billions more will have to be invested in order to further reduce child mortality rates. Of course many people refuse to donate to organizations such as UNICEF, because they feel as if this issue doesn’t affect them and in many ways it doesn’t. However we are all human beings and coming from a country that was in total disarray a mere 20 years ago, I sympathize with what many of the children in these countries are going through. Hopefully over the next few years and even decades the child mortality rate will begin to decrease at an even faster pace yearly. It certainly helps to have great people like Bill Gates helping these children around the world. Of course not all of us have the billions to spare that Mr. Gates does, but one thing is certain; we all have different ways that we can help these many different children and although you may not feel as if you are making a difference, every little bit of help counts and believe me, there is a child over there in Africa, or Asia or even Europe who is thanking you for indeed making a difference in their lives.
By Stephan Popescu
Blog Writer 2009-2010, Change Tomorrow’s World
