New York, NY -
UNICEF released its annual State of the World's Children 2008 report, finding that on average 26,000 children under the age of five die every day mostly from preventable causes. In the report - UNICEF calls for continued efforts in reducing international child mortality rates and calls attention to the importance of meeting key United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MGD) including:
- Reducing poverty and hunger
- Improving maternal health
- Combating HIV and AIDS
- Improving water and sanitation
The United Nations Millennium Development Goals strive to reduce the number of deaths for children under the age of five from 9.7 million in 2006 to under 5 million in 2015. In order to achieve this goal, UNICEF's report calls increased attention to maternal and child health through public health, medical, and policy initiatives.
In industrialized countries like the United States there is still work to be done to ensure that children grow into healthy adults. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the infant mortality rate in the US is 6.9 infants in every 1,000 die less than one year of age. In 2000, according to Child Health USA 2000, the United States ranked 27th out of 28 of the world's most industrialized countries in infant mortality - due in large part to health care access and socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities.
To find out more about the UNICEF report and read about recommended policy and public health solutions to preventing premature infants death click on the following link: UNICEF: The State of the World's Children 2008: Child Survival
To learn more about the United Nations Millennium Development Goals click on the following link: United Nations: Millennium Development Goals
For information about this highlight or any highlight on the Philadelphia GROW Project website, please contact Michelle Renee Chyatte, MPH, Policy Coordinator