Exclusively breastfeeding newborns would save many lives in MyanmarOn World Health Day UNICEF Urges Adoption of Measures to Enhance Children’s Health Yangon, 07 April 2005 – Today, on the occasion of World Health Day, UNICEF Myanmar stressed that many more children’s lives could be saved if families adopt a few simple measures to protect their children’s health.Today in Myanmar, approximately ¾ of all deaths among children under five years of age occur during the very first year of a child’s life – most in the first four months. “One thing every family can do to keep their newborn child healthy and enhance their chance for survival is to only feed them mother’s breast milk during the first six months of life,” said UNICEF Health Officer Dr. Anne Vincent. “Mother’s milk is the perfect food for infants – it’s all they need to grow healthy and strong during their first six months.” “Children who are only fed breast milk during the first six months of life are not only healthier, they are also smarter on average, with a greater chance of living a healthy and productive life.” Exclusive breastfeeding is the best protection infants can have against diarrhoea, which is the second leading killer of Myanmar’s children. Another important step families can take to protect children’s health is to ensure that they are treated by a trained medical professional – both before and after birth. “Pregnant women who receive care from trained medical professionals have a much greater chance of giving birth to a healthy child,” said Dr. Vincent, “and children who receive such care have a much better chances of surviving various ailments.” To help maximize Myanmar children’s chance of survival and enhance their wellbeing, UNICEF supports a range of activities across the country. UNICEF supports the nationwide immunization of children to protect them against disease, and supports the training of health providers to enhance the quality of medical care that is available to families. UNICEF supplies essential drugs and medical equipment to rural communities in Myanmar, as well as essential micronutrients to protect children against malnutrition. UNICEF also works with its partners to help families learn about beneficial care practices that can help their children thrive. “The most fundamental right for children is their right to survival,” said Dr. Vincent. “Once children make it through the first critical year of life, they stand a much greater chance of realizing this right, and living well into adulthood.” *************** The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) establishes that children have the right to survival and health services. Myanmar ratified the CRC in 1991. *************** For further information please contact:
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