7 August 2008 - Government of Japan donation will improve child health across Sudan - US$5.8 million grant to UNICEF will strengthen efforts to tackle preventable diseasesChild health in Sudan will receive a critical boost this year as The Government of Japan continues its support to tackling infectious diseases in the country through a contribution of US$5.8 million (¥618 million or SDG 12.1 million) to UNICEF. The funds will be used to provide an essential package of primary health care services, benefiting some 5.5 million people, including:
Announcing the contribution, His Excellency Yuichi Ishii, Ambassador of Japan to Sudan underlined the commitment of his country to fighting infectious diseases throughout Sudan. [Quote from His Excellency] Thanking the Government of Japan for its continued support, UNICEF Representative to Sudan Ted Chaiban stressed that primary health care services were an essential tool in Sudan’s efforts to strengthen child survival and development. “Sudan has recorded significant progress in protecting children’s health since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement,” he said. “Last year alone, UNICEF and partners such as WHO have been proud to support the vaccination of 8.9 million children against polio, 3.5 million children against measles, as well as distributing 910,000 bed nets to protect families from malaria. As part of the Sudan Accelerated Child Survival Initiative, we will continue to support these vital initiatives as we help to develop packages of integrated community-based health care that are proven to save children’s lives.” According to the 2006 Sudan Household Health Survey, under-five mortality rates in Sudan have fallen from 156 deaths per 1,000 live births prior to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to 112. However less than one-third of children in Sudan are immunized against all the major diseases, more than half of women are not protected against neo-natal tetanus, and less than one-fifth of families have access to bed nets to protect against malaria. Tackling childhood diseases through simple cost-effective measures such as immunization will help to continue that reduction; in other African countries investment in such child survival efforts have resulted in an average reduction in child mortality rates of 20 per cent. The new contribution from Japan will be officially marked at a special ceremony hosted at the Minister of Public Health’s office in Khartoum on Tuesday 12 August, starting at 1.00 p.m. The event will be attended by the Japanese Ambassador to Sudan His Excellency Yuichi Ishii, UNICEF Representative Ted Chaiban and Minister of Public Health Her Excellency Dr. Tabitha Boutros Shokay.
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