ASIA - Acting to improve precarious health of children in southern Asia

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - In southern Asia over one billion people, especially children, have no medical care, they are undernourished and prey to disease due to bad hygiene and sanitation above all no access to clean water.
This emerged from SACOSAN the 2nd Conference on Health in Southern Asia organised by UNICEF in Islamabad, Pakistan, with government delegates from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Myanmar.
Participants stressed the urgent need to provide all people, but women and children especially, with basic medical treatment to prevent infective diseases.
Since the 1st SACOSAN in 2003, 100 million more people have medical care, but 20 million still have none.
UNICEF is about to launch a ‘Progress for Children: a Report Card on Water and Sanitation’ which will highlight progress to guarantee access to clean water and basic medical care but also show how much remains to be done. (AP) (26/9/2006 Agenzia Fides; Righe:20; Parole:198)