By Melissa Chea-Annan
The Inquirer (Monrovia)
25 January 2008
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that on the average,
more than 26,000 children under the age of five die around the world daily,
mostly from preventable causes.
UNICEF further disclosed that more than one third of these children die during the first month of life, usually at home and without access to essential health services and basic commodities that might save their lives.
In a document released by UNICEF, it was revealed that some children, among several other things succumb to respiratory or diarrhea infections that are no longer threats in industrialized countries or to early childhood diseases that are easily prevented through vaccines, such as measles.
In a special remark during the launching ceremony, which was held at the Ministry of Gender on Tuesday, the Liberian Leader, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf challenged Liberians, particularly those in decision-making positions to ensure that the document form part of the archives and remain alive.
The Liberian Leader who launched the book under the theme "Child Survival" called on the Ministers of Government to take the document seriously and take into consideration that series of workshops would be organized for the children to know the facts that have been written in the document.
It can be recalled that President Sirleaf contributed to the Report called "Child Survival in Post-Conflict Situations: Liberia's Challenges and Triumphs". The President also called on the 52nd National Legislature and the Women's Caucus to ensure that the document be enacted and passed into law.
President Sirleaf also pointed out that children's welfare is everybody's business. That is one of the reasons why her government has placed education on top of its development agenda, with special emphasis on children, particularly the girl child.
According to her, to ensure that her government is serious about this, it has enforced the free and compulsory primary education just to get children off the streets so that the children who are the future leaders would form part of the development process.
Also making remarks at the launching ceremony, the new head of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Ellen M. Loj said child mortality was the most sensitive indicator of social development including peace and security, and that the high levels of child malnutrition and disease in Liberia clearly depict that all is not well.
The Regional Director of UNICEF for West and Central Africa, Dr. Esther Guluma said every mainland country has been faced with the challenge to reduce child mortality in West and Central Africa, and many of the countries had additional factors, including violence against women to the preceding issue mentioned in the report.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200801250573.html