 |
| © UNICEF/ HQ05-2125/Giacomo Pirozzi |
| A girl waits at a health centre in Kisangani, capital of the north-eastern Province |
Every year 10.5 million children die before the age of five – 29,000 children every single day. The vast majority of these deaths are preventable.
While child mortality will be the focus of the Symposium, it will be discussed in the context of the “continuum of care” of maternal, newborn and child health, and such key causes of child mortality as malnutrition, malaria and HIV/AIDS. The Symposium will look at solutions, such as the Accelerated Child Survival and Development approach that is reducing child mortality in parts of West Africa, by taking well-known health interventions to scale.
The Lancet, which is playing a key role in the push for MDG 4, will issue a special electronic supplement on the day of the Symposium to highlight child survival. The supplement will include its Countdown Report, showing which countries are on track for MDG 4, and which are not.
The Symposium will be divided into two sessions:
• A high-level policy panel with Prime Minister Stoltenberg, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman and Heads of State, including Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordon, with an expert introduction by Professor Hans Rosling and moderated by Riz Khan.
• A more informal ‘Town Hall’ panel of experts to include Zulfi Bhutta, Julio Frenk, Richard Horton, Julian Lob-Levyt and Joy Phumaphi.
Both sessions will take place at UNICEF House, 3 UN Plaza, 44th Street, New York.
***
About UNICEF
For 60 years UNICEF has been the world’s leader for children, working on the ground in 156 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
For further information, please contact:
Angela Hawke, Communications Officer, UNICEF New York: Tel + 212 326
Jessica Malter, Communication Officer, UNICEF New York: Tel + 212 326 7412
Press Releases and New Notes:
Breastfeeding
1 August 2006: Breastfeeding: A simple way to save young lives
Child Mortality
11 August 2006: Statement of UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman on Lebanon
24 July 2006: Child Alert: Democratic Republic of Congo
Child's rights
12 May 2006: UNICEF Lauds Progress for Uganda’s Children, Urges More Must be Done
18 March 2006: Criminal charge in child soldier case a milestone in protecting children
Early Childhood
11 May 2006: Food Insecurity in Iraq Persists: Children Suffer
2 May 2006: A Quarter of the World’s Children Seriously Underweight
Education
1 September 2006: Back-to-school campaign in Timor-Leste ready for roll out
30 August 2006: Private Sector comes forward to support girls’ education
HIV and AIDS
14 August 2006: UNICEF and partners to launch Africa’s Orphaned and Vulnerable Generations in Toronto
26 June 2006: Asian Cricket Council and UNICEF take the field for children and against AIDS
Health
25 July 2006: Agencies join forces to inform and educate on avian flu and human pandemic risks in the Americas
19 June 2006: Annual drive to prevent diarrhoeal deaths gets underway in Afghanistan
Immunization Plus
4 August 2006: UNICEF and partners begin immunisation campaign for children displaced by the Lebanon conflict
27 July 2006: UNICEF and Ministry of Health and Social Welfare working to expand reach of vaccination coverage
Infant Mortality
21 August 2006: African countries partner with Indian scientist to reduce newborn infant deaths
12 May 2006: Cholera Outbreak Poses Additional Threat to Child Survival in Angola
Iodine deficiency disorders
24 August 2006: Elimination of Iodine deficiency disorders
19 April, 2006: Chernobyl Anniversary: UNICEF says iodine could have helped to spare many children from thyroid cancer
Malaria
8 July 2006: Partners team up in Kenya to fights measles and malaria
Maternal Mortality
4 August 2005: Afghanistan's maternal and child mortality rates soar
20 June 2004: Afghan maternal and neo-natal tetanus vaccination campaign reaches 3.6 million women
Measles
7 August 2006: Measles vaccination campaign faces up to challenges of ongoing Lebanon conflict
8 July 2006: Partners team up in Kenya to fights measles and malaria
Nutrition
8 August 2006: Campaigning for child nutrition in the Sahel region
30 June 2006:Nutritional screening to save lives in Timor-Leste
Polio
4 August 2006: New cases of polio prompts further immunization drive in Bangladesh
1 May 2006: Two million children to be reached in Afghan polio immunization drive
Salt Iodinasation
3 March, 2005: Law bans imports of non-iodized salt in Georgia
31 December 2004: From India: UNICEF distributes rehydration salts to treat diarrhoea
Vitamin A
4 September 2006: More than 500,000 Liberian children targeted in vitamin A and deworming campaign
21 January 2004: Reducing vitamin deficiency can improve world economy
