Re: [pronut-hiv] Our children are dying Call for action(3)

[dchildhealth@swiftkenya.com]

Dear All,
Thanks for this communication
The high underfive and infant mortality rate in Kenya like other countries
is known (not really connected with the current political environment  
in Kenya).

Simple interventions which have been proved effective are available  
and being implemented even in Kenya including Integrated Management of  
Childhood Illness, ORT and zinc for diarrhoea, breastfeeding  
promotion, vitamin A supplementation, maternal and newborn newborn  
care, nutrition etc.

These according to the Lancet child survival series just need to be  
scaled up.  It is my hope that the shocking statistics  will lead to  
more partners taking interest in translating statistics into action  
hence saving children's lives.

  and malnutrition control and will need to be intensified long after  
political settlement in Kenya.

Dr. Annah Wamae
Head Division of Child Health
Ministry of Health.


----francis khadudu wrote:

> Dear Colleagues,
> It is indeed pathetic that over the last two months Kenya has joined  
>  the league of the failing States where our Children are dying in   
> large numbers due to purely human negligence and adverse   
> activities.While the situation appears to be returning to normalcy,   
> the impact of the stress and trauma on the young will definitely   
> take time to go. Meanwhile we convey special  thanks to Koffi Annan   
> with his team and the International Community for their support and   
> intervention. The local and International Humanitarian Groups have   
> made commendable contributions in addressing the plight of the   
> mothers and children caught in this madness of killings and   
> destitution.We hope our political class will sort out their   
> differences so that we do not have a repeate of the same in the near  
>  future.Kind Regards and Please Pray to us Kenyans for Divine   
> Intervention for our quick recovery.
>
> Francis Were
>
> ------ProNut-HIV wrote: Our children are dying
>
> Thabo Mkhize
> http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=725075
> Mar 12, 2008
>
> Report paints a grim picture of failure in fighting the country*s   
> *Big Five* killers, most of which are treatable
>
> About 75 000 children die in South Africa every year before they turn five.
>
> Of those, 22000 are dead within a month of being born, making South   
> Africa one of only 12 countries * along with Iraq, Afghanistan,   
> Sierra Leone and Kenya, all ravaged by war and HIV-Aids * with a   
> rising child mortality rate.
> A further 20000 babies are stillborn every year.
> These shocking findings are contained in a report produced by the   
> national health department, the Medical Research Council and the   
> University of Pretoria.
> The report was released by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang   
> in Johannesburg yesterday.
> The report, Every Death Counts, is derived from three mortality   
> audits: Saving Mothers, Saving Babies, and Saving Children. It   
> paints a grim picture of how, on average, 260 children and mothers   
> die in this country every day.
>
> Prof Mickey Chopra, of the Medical Research Council, said: *The bad   
> news is that in terms of children dying, we are not making progress.*
> Chopra said that the reasons for increasing child mortality included  
>  inadequate health facilities, inadequate care given by health   
> workers and lack of transport to health facilities.
> Dr Mark Patrick, who compiled the Saving Children audit, said it   
> *was unacceptable* that South Africa*s child mortality rate of 69   
> per 1000 was three times higher than Brazil*s.
> Patrick said: *Children are dying faster than they should and we all  
>  need to do something about it.*
> The *Big Five* killers of mothers and children in this country are   
> HIV-Aids, malnutrition, newborn illnesses, childhood illnesses,   
> pregnancy and childbirth complications.
> Poverty is the underlying cause of death in all five instances.
>
> HIV-Aids accounted for 35percent of child mortality. Only 11percent   
> of child deaths are due to diarrhea.
> Both these conditions are treatable and preventable.
> And the situation is getting worse.
> It was revealed that South Africa is not making progress towards the  
>  child survival Millennium Development Goals.
> Brazil, Mexico and Egypt, with similar mortality rates and gross   
> national incomes to South Africa, are on track to meet child   
> mortality targets of reducing deaths by two thirds between 1990 and   
> 2015.
> The Every Death Counts report says that about 1600 women die each   
> year because of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
> Dr Joy Lawn, who is author of the report and a senior policy and   
> research adviser for Save the Children in the US, said: *At least   
> 40200 babies and children could be saved every year if high-impact   
> interventions reached all families in South Africa.*
>
> The report states: *More than half the mothers and children dying in  
>  our country are dying needlessly * we have the solutions now but   
> they are not reaching those most in need, or they are not being   
> implemented with the quality needed to save lives.*
> Patrick, who is a paediatrician at Grey*s Hospital,   
> Pietermaritzburg, said: *We all need to use our talents to improve   
> the quality of care that mothers, babies and children receive.
> *By doing this, at the very least, we can honour those of our   
> country*s people who died earlier than they should.*
> Other shocking findings include:
> One third of the children who died were severely malnourished and   
> more than 60percent were underweight for their age;
>
> At least 294000 children are living with HIV-Aids;
>
> Black infants are more than four times as likely to die than white infants .
>
>