13th June, 2008
The Week of the African Child
Globally 10 million children under five years old die every year; 4 million of them between birth and the first month of life. Approximately 60% of these deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa – a child under five dies every second from a variety of preventable causes. Top of the list being malnutrition, diarrhoea, malaria and viral and bacterial diseases, many of which are preventable by immunisation or can be easily managed if diagnosed early. HIV and AIDS is rapidly becoming an important part of this already heavy disease burden.
The major challenge to delivering improved health for the children of Africa is well recognised - a weak health system impacted by a lack of trained health personnel.
AMREF is determined to contribute strongly towards halting this tragic loss of life by tackling the underlying causes that are preventing the achievement of Millennium Development Goal Four.
Millennium Development Goal Four: Reduce child mortality by two thirds by 2015.
AMREF's response to achieving MDG 4
AMREF’s strategy has women and children as key target groups for health improvement on the continent. These groups are some of the most vulnerable to ill health, as demonstrated by some of the statistics above. Children are often marginalised and can not access basic, affordable and quality health care which is their right.
There is evidence that development and use of communities’ own resourcefulness, including the training of community health workers can play a very significant role to reduce important causes of illness and premature death in poor communities. Mid- and lower level health personnel can be trained to address up to 85% of these causes, but policy makers and implementers do not easily adopt the essential changes needed in health systems and human resources development.
AMREF is working to mobilise communities and lobby governments to increase the use of child health services - especially prevention of illness from poor hygiene and sanitation, and preventing deaths from immunisable diseases and malaria.
AMREF in action
Across the continent AMREF is working with communities to bring better health to African children. In northern Uganda we are working in a post-conflict environment to bring immunisations and clean water into IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps. An essential immunisation outreach programme has now been started.
In partnership with UBS, AMREF ia about to start a new project in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The project aims to reduce mortality and morbidity among children under five in the Sekhukhune district, through a community based Integrated approach. The project will focus on the role of Community Health Workers and Community Based Organisations in delivering better health for children in the district. The project will carry out research on this approach and how the linkages between the community and the formal health system can be improved.