“In 2006,
9.7 million
children
under the age
of five
died.”
 

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Click here to download a PDF information sheet on this topic.
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Continuing Series: Keep checking the GDG website over the coming months as our next 5 development issues will focus on the remaining 5 MDGs in turn. Our next issue is on 'Peace Keeping' .

Previous Issues
* MDG#3
* MDG#2
* MDG#1
* What are the MDGs?
* Intro to WASH Projects
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This webpage (and pdf above) are part of Global Development Group's advocacy efforts for the development sector to help inform and educate our partners, donors and the general public about the issues and priorities of aid and development.

MDG #4

  

Reduce Child Mortality

Global Development Group is committed to helping achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). You can find a brief introduction to these in our Development Issue: What are the MDG’s? (February edition), and on our website: www.globaldevelopment.org.au/mdg

The fourth MDG is “Reduce Child Mortality”.

In our world of comfort, technology and medicine, some of the statistics relating to Child Mortality seems to almost be a stretch of the imagination since it’s so far from our reality. Nevertheless, despite our
aloofness or distance, the reality is still there. The statistics state that in low income countries, 1 child out of 10 will die before they reach the age of five. In wealthier nations (like our own) the statistics drop rapidly to 1 child out of 143 (http://www.endpoverty2015.org/
goals/child-health).

In 2006, 9.7 million children under the age of five died.

This breaks down to:

  • 4.8 million in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • 3.1 million in South Asia
  • 900,000 in East Asia/Pacific
  • 400,000 in the Middle East/North Africa
  • 300,000 in Latin America/Caribbean
  • 100,000 in CEE/CIS
  • 100,000 in Industrialised countries

     




The major causes for these deaths are problems which are treated easily in the Western world. Some of which are; Neonatal causes, Pneumonia, Diarrhoea, Malaria, Measles, Injuries, HIV/AIDs.(http://www.unicef.
org/progressforchildren/2007n6/index_41802.htm)

The MDG Goal of “Reduce Child Mortality” is broken down as follows:

  • By the year 2015, reducing (by two-thirds) the under five mortality rate
  • By the year 2015, reducing (by two-thirds) the infant mortality rate
  • By the year 2015, reducing (by two-thirds) the proportion of 1 year old children immunised against measle(http://www.mdgmonitor.org/goal4.cfm)







 






See below; graphs which outline how well we are doing with working towards this goal.




(http://www.gapminder.org/downloads/mdg-4-reducing-child-mortality)

Global Development Group has a number of projects that are attempting to combat this significant
problem.
 

  • One such project is located in Myanmar. This project has instituted medical clinics which provide for a number of health issues including food and treatment for severe malnourished children, antenatal care, reproductive health, family planning and treatment of infectious diseases. This project also endeavours to reduce diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea by decontaminating drinking water on a regular basis. Chlorination of water pipes is implemented annually. Both these aspects of the project help to reduce Child Mortality significantly. (J562P)
  • We also have completed projects in Cambodia addressing Dengue fever, Tuberculosis and Cholera.
  • There are a number of projects that could be mentioned, but the third (and last) one I will mention today is found in Uganda. A section of this project is dedicated purely to their Baby Home Program. In this program they look after abandoned babies that have been rescued (some from rubbish dumps, some orphans, etc). Theproject uses a wide range of special equipment to care for the babies. They are equipped with humidicribs, modern equipment (gloves, scissors, stethoscopes, thermometers, etc) and various medical treatments. This Baby Home facility provides better care for the babies than their local hospitals can offer at present. This project helps reduce diseases and illnesses prominent in their area thus giving the infants a higher chance of living an adult life. (J210 Baby Watoto)