Child Survival

The most vulnerable victims of poverty are the world’s children.

Every year, nearly 9 million children under age five die from preventable and treatable diseases — that’s over 24,000 children every day. Pneumonia, diarrhea, and complications during childbirth are leading causes of death. Malnutrition is an underlying contributor in over a third of these deaths. Ninety-three percent of under-5 deaths are in Africa and Asia; 75 percent occur in only 18 developing countries.

In addition, diseases like AIDS and TB can devastate the lives of children by killing or compromising the health of their parents. It is estimated that AIDS has orphaned 13 million children. Even if a parent becomes ill but does not die, as might happen with TB, children experience even greater poverty as income falls and assets are sold to help replace lost income or to pay for medical care. Children are at risk of malnutrition, and its long-term ill effects, as their family’s household budget falls. They may be taken out of school to help at home, or may begin working to supplement their family’s income. In India, it is estimated that over 300,000 children leave school each year because their parents are infected with TB.

RESULTS and Child Survival Advocacy

RESULTS advocacy was integral in the creation of the Child Survival and Health Account, which is now part of our annual foreign aid spending bill. This account includes funding for UNICEF, micronutrient programs, and vitamin A supplementation. RESULTS continues to lobby the U.S. Congress to ensure that precious child survival resources are protected and expanded. RESULTS Educational Fund tracks child survival programs, including those funded by the Child Survival and Health Account, in order to ensure that the funds are being spent on effective solutions for children, including treatment of acute pneumonia, oral rehydration therapy, vitamin A supplementation, salt iodization, and immunizations that reach the poorest. We will continue to draw public attention to, and fight for, the survival of the world’s most vulnerable — our children.

RESULTS is a member of the U.S. Coalition for Child Survival, a collaboration of organizations and individuals dedicated to improving the survival and healthy development of the worlds children, through increased public and private funding for child survival, sharing best practices between organizations in the field, and coordinating efforts to eliminate and eradicate diseases that kill children.