Meredith Cox
9-10-09
10:04 pm
Child Mortality Rate Declines Globally
Unicef is about to release new information confirming that in their studies global child mortality rate is dropping. Although it has not met the goal of two thirds set for 2015, it is slowly progressing in the right direction. Some of the biggest killers of children are diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria and measles. However this is changing with more educated people in villages. Now more villages have trained health care workers living amongst them, teaching them how to better take care of their families. Women now know that birth control shots are available and they do not have to continue having children if that isn’t their wish. They also provide advice, antibiotics, and rehydration salts for diarrhea. Women have also started to breast feed their children for the first six months which is crucial to their immune system to avoid diarrhea from dirty water. Although some nations such as Bangladesh are still on the rise, there is some hope in knowing most are declining.
Personally this gives me hope. I think that child mortality is a huge issue that needed to be dealt with. I am glad goals were set, even if they might not be reached; it shows the worlds intentions to do something about the problem. So many problems are ignored now and days, it’s good to know that some issues will not be swept under the rug. I think that with continued education and with access to health care, or just advice, these women have a better chance of helping each other and their families. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to not be able to find help for my child within minutes. In the U.S. every sneeze and cough is analyzed. It’s just strange to remember not everyone has that luxury.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/world/10child.html?ref=health
2 comments:
I think it's great that the child mortality rate is declining world wide. I guess growing up in the US I never knew that it was such a big problem, but now I see it is in other countries. Healthcare is increasing, meaning medicene is helping out sick kids and people are helping the kids who need it which is great. I agree that it gives hope.
What I think is the best part about this article is the fact that the healthcare workers are providing these less fortunate women with birth control. They have the option to stop having children and focus their attention on the ones they already have. They're getting their rights that we take for granted here.
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