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'Change for Good' campaign saves lives in Angola
LUANDA, 16 June 2004 – Today British Airways announced its intention to continue supporting Angolan initiatives and projects to help children, following their previous funding assistance to help increase Maternal and Neo-Natal Tetanus vaccination beginning last year. The latter was expressed by Rob Cooper, Angola Country Commercial Manager, during a press conference held in Luanda, jointly with UNICEF.
A significant achievement in the area of immunization was supported by British Airways Change for Good campaign that donated US $297,000 to support Angola by funding a vital immunization campaign to eradicate Maternal and Neo-Natal Tetanus (MNT) and save the lives of mothers and their unborn children.
“UNICEF is supporting this initiative and will continue to support the efforts of the Government to provide Angolans with an improved standard of living, and that includes better health services for women and their children”, said Akhil Iyer, Programme Coordinator of UNICEF in Angola.
For 2004, British Airways is donating to UNICEF over US $370,000 to fund an integrated water supply and sanitation project initiated in Huambo.
"British Airways is delighted to be working with UNICEF in Angola on this important project. The future of this country will be in the hands of the children that UNICEF works so hard to help protect and develop," Rob Cooper added.
Following the end of the long running civil conflict in 2002, peace in Angola has been firmly consolidated and there is unprecedented access to most of the country.
With the wide array of economic and social problems confronting post-war Angola, many of the Government’s efforts were complemented by the international community in order to improve the humanitarian situation during 2003 and start addressing longer term development challenges.
In the second half of 2003, the Ministry of Health initiated a plan to accelerate routine immunization and eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus in 59 of the 164 municipalities around the country, which account for 75 percent of the total population. British Airways contribution was vital in the area of social mobilization, training of health workers on vaccination and distribution of vaccines and related supplies.
Most of Angola’s social indicators have not improved in years. The under-five mortality rate is the third worst in the world at 260 per 1,000 live births, while maternal mortality is currently estimated around 1,700 per 100,000. But progress made in the areas of immunization and nutrition in 2003 should lay the foundation for a multi-faceted plan to reduce child mortality in Angola.
Rob Cooper expressed his recognition of ongoing efforts in Angola to improve the situation of children and women, including the preparation of a National strategy to accelerate the reduction of child and maternal mortality and the organization of a National Forum on Early Childhood Care and Development. British Airways will continue working closely with UNICEF to support initiatives in this regard.
The Change for Good programme was launched in April 1994, collecting foreign currency donated by customers on board British Airways flights. Since its launch, over 22 million US dollars has been raised for UNICEF, which has helped projects in over 50 countries around the world. British Airways works very closely with UNICEF in managing the programme and in a joint decision it is determined which countries will be the recipients of the donations. The success of the programme is largely due to the Crew who act as "Champions" in the sky. On a voluntary basis they give announcements during flights, undertake the collections and offer further information to customers who wish to know more.
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For further information, please contact:
Patricia Cervantes, Head of Information UNICEF Angola,
(244) 91-501 943
pcervantes@unicef.org
Jose Luis Mendonca, Information Officer UNICEF Angola
(244) 2 – 332348 (ext 409)
jlmendonca@unicef.org
