ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - The Child
Survival Partnership, a new alliance between UNICEF, the World Health Organization,
the World Bank, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), today announced that
it is initiating efforts in Ethiopia to improve child health and save children
dying of preventable causes.
Recently, The Lancet concluded that
two-thirds of 10 million child deaths could be prevented with existing
knowledge and known treatments for diarrheal disease, malaria, pneumonia,
and neonatal causes. Malnutrition is a common underlying cause in 60 percent
of these deaths. It also found that 90 per cent of deaths occur in 42 countries,
and over 50 per cent of deaths occur in just six countries, with Ethiopia
having the sixth largest number of annual child deaths
- approximately 470,000.
The agencies represented in The Child
Survival Partnership joined together to direct global attention and action
on the unfinished child survival agenda.
Through coordinated action among international partners and using existing
resources, funding and coordination mechanisms more efficiently and effectively,
the Partnership will increase attention paid to child survival within priority
countries, and scale up known, effective child health interventions like
immunization, Vitamin A supplementation and treatment of diarrhea, pneumonia
and malaria.
Ethiopia is the first target country of the Partnership because of the Government's commitment to child survival. While Ethiopia has made great strides in improving child health, much of its rural population has limited access to modern health-care services.
"I am excited by Ethiopia's commitment
to their people and children, encouraged by their efforts to respond to
child health needs and privileged to have the
opportunity to begin the Child Survival partnership here," said WHO
Assistant Director-General Joy Phumaphi.
The Partnership will support the Government
of Ethiopia's efforts to improve coverage of key maternal and child health
interventions like immunization,
improved nutrition, and treatment of child illnesses, help communities
achieve better health, support the integrated training for frontline health
workers and
support for the implementation of the Government's new Health Extension
Package.
"We are at a crossroads and confront
a major opportunity to improve the health of Ethiopian children and their
families" said Dr. E. Anne Peterson, MD, MPH,
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Global Health, USAID during a visit
to SNNPR. "It is within our reach. We have a solid foundation upon
which to build. Ethiopia's leadership and innovative approaches on child
survival can serve as a model for other countries. And the children - the
most vulnerable -- deserve our undivided attention."
"This is a very timely opportunity
to put child survival back on top of the development agenda," added
UNICEF Representative Bjorn Ljungqvist. "Ethiopia is
a very appropriate place to begin given its great need and the commitment
of the Government and all partners to improve the situation of children."
For every child, Health, Education, Equality, Protection ADVANCE HUMANITY
Angela Walker Sampson
UNICEF Communication Officer
251-1-444400 or 515155, ext. 200
fax: 251-1-517111
mobile: 251-9-213308