Global experts on child health are met in New
York City to discuss an ongoing tragedy: the fact
that 10.5 million children under the age of five
die each year.
Most of these deaths could be prevented, experts
say.
Coinciding with this meeting, the U.K. medical
journal The Lancet is publishing a special
online issue dedicated to research on child survival.
In one study, researchers found that the world's
major aid donors gave an estimated $1.36 billion
to the 60 countries that account for the most
child deaths in the world. That sounds like a
large sum, but translates to just $3.10 per child,
the researchers said.
In order to meet the goal of reducing child mortality
by two-thirds by 2015, an estimated additional
$7 billion per year is needed. The authors concluded
that the new funds should go toward interventions
known to improve child survival, such as interventions
addressing diarrhea and pneumonia.
Another study presented the latest findings from
the Child Survival Countdown, a worldwide effort
to monitor the use of 19 interventions that can
improve child survival in the 60 most vulnerable
countries.
Researchers reported that only seven of the 60
priority countries are now expected to reach the
2015 goal. According to the authors, it is important
to support interventions aimed at preventing malaria
and immunizing children against diphtheria, pertussis,
and tetanus.
In another study, researchers assessed the effect
of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations
(GAVI) on diptheria, pertussis, and tetanus vaccine
coverage. The researchers concluded that GAVI
should redistribute its resources to countries
with the lowest vaccine coverage.
