EUROPE/SPAIN - "Now it is not possible to stop us": campaign against child mortality

Thursday, 9 October 2014

Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - Every day 17,000 children worldwide die from diseases which could be avoided if vaccinated, if there were clean water, adequate food or mosquito nets. To cope with this emergency, the UNICEF Andalusian Commission has launched the campaign against infant mortality: "Now it is not possible to stop us". Despite the fact that compared to the 90s the death of children under 5 years of age has declined from 12.7 million to 6.3, 17,000 children continue to die per day. The campaign focuses on diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria. In fact, with vaccination campaigns 3.2 million deaths from diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and measles are avoided each year. The use of mosquito nets prevents 20% of infant mortality caused by malaria. Access to drinking water prevents diseases such as diarrhea, which causes 567,000 deaths under 5 years of age each year. Another of the key factors that most affect the deaths of children due to malnutrition is the lack of food. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 09/10/2014)


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