Children

Blood donation drives have been held in Kenya to meet the demand that has been caused due to the continuing post-election violence. In wake of the high demand the shortage of regular blood donors has only become more apparent. Donations must be screened for HIV to ensure they are safe for transfusion, and thus many do not donate as they fear learning of their HIV status. Campaingners are encouraging people to check their status and working to disolve myths and fears about the virus. “…about 10 percent of the 80 pints of blood collected during an average one-day blood drive usually had to be incinerated because of the presence of HIV, syphilis or hepatitis B or C.” (IRIN).

Infectious diseases kill a surprisingly large number of women during pregnancy, according to a study published Feb. 19 that suggests many maternal deaths in the developing world are preventable. The study in the journal PLoS Medicine showed that many more women in a large Mozambique hospital died from four infectious diseases - AIDS, malaria, bronchial pneumonia and meningitis - than from conditions directly linked to pregnancy. The diseases appear to play a similar role across sub-Saharan Africa, a region that accounts for a lion’s share of the estimated 500,000 maternal deaths worldwide each year, the researchers said. (Reuters)

GlaxoSmithKline cut the prices on its range of HIV drugs offered to developing countries, marking the fifth such discount since 1997. The most significant reduction was an almost 40% reduction of Ziagen, the drug recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a first- and second-line treatment particularly for children. The average discount across its 14 not-for-profit HIV medicines was 21%. (Reuters)

The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies announced during the Eastern Africa Partnership Meeting in Entebbe, Uganda, an appeal for USD 65 million to support Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Eastern Africa in fighting HIV over the next three years. The program aims to reach 17 million people with information on prevention over the three years, provide care and support to nearly 30,000 people living with HIV and 130,000 orphans and vulnerable children.

President George W Bush says the US will help provide 5.2 million mosquito nets as part of a broader campaign to tackle malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. He said it would provide free nets for every Tanzanian child aged one to five. Malaria is the main cause of death for children in Africa, killing a child every 30 seconds, the United Nations says. The US, Tanzania and the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria will distribute the nets. (BBC)

Twenty-four cities from Atlanta to Tel Aviv to Bangkok have agreed to turn off their lights for one hour on March 29 to draw attention to global warming. Organizers said more cities may join the event and that some 30 million people may participate (Associated Press). In related news UN officials say Human rights threatened by global warming

Central Mozambique is recovering from its worst-ever flood, emergency workers are trying to contain an outbreak of cholera, affecting more than 600 people in Mutarara district, Tete province, leaving ten people dead. ActionAid is working with the government and ngos to improve hygiene in resettlement camps, 100,000 have been evacuated, where many still live in tents or simple shelters.

Bolivia has officially declared a natural disaster, as more than 60,000 families affected by heavy flooding. Many have been rescued and taken to camps, hundreds are suffering from waterborne diseases and acute diarrhea. An estimated 52 people have died, eight are missing and more than 616,000 hectares of crops destroyed as rivers burst their banks (Plan UK).

In Haiti ensuring adequate nutrition for children younger than two is more beneficial than intervening with food assistance after young children show signs of malnourishment, according to a study published this month by the Lancet, a leading medical journal. The study compared the impact of two approaches implemented by US government-funded World Vision programs in Haiti. Researchers found that indicators of malnutrition - stunting, wasting and underweight - were 4% to 6% lower in communities participating in preventive programs, than those that which used recuperative approaches. (ReliefWeb)

In Indonesia poverty in the tsunami struck region of Aceh has fallen below the pre-disaster level, a new World Bank report shows, due to both peace and the large reconstruction effort. The Aceh Poverty Assessment 2008 report shows poverty in Aceh increased slightly in the aftermath of the tsunami, from 28.4% in 2004 to 32.6% in 2005. However, the poverty rate fell again in 2006 to 26.5%, below the pre-tsunami level, suggesting that the short lived rise was due to reconstruction activities. Despite any improvements, poverty in Aceh remains significantly higher than in the rest of Indonesia, with more than 30% of rural households below the poverty line, compared to less than 15% in urban areas.

Human rights organization Amnesty International has called for an end to forced evictions in Cambodia. Thousands of families have already been moved from their homes in the center of the capital Phnom Penh, and more evictions are set to follow. The authorities say this is a necessary part of Cambodia’s development. But in its report Amnesty disputes this, and says there has been a lack of accountability and consultation with local communities. Members of threatened communities from across Phnom Penh are fighting on, although their homes may soon be reduced to rubble. (BBC)

Hundreds of schools closed, roads were empty and shops were shuttered in districts in Nepal’s southern plains on Feb. 13 at the start of a strike by ethnic Madheshi groups to press for regional autonomy. Violent ethnic protests in the region last year claimed at least 45 lives, throwing a shadow over Nepal’s peace process after a decade-long civil war with Maoist rebels ended in 2006. Three Madheshi groups, saying they represent the dominant ethnic community of the fertile Terai plains, have called the indefinite strike aimed at blocking roads to Kathmandu and other hilly areas of landlocked Nepal. (Reuters)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is deeply concerned about the growing number of civilian casualties, including children, resulting from the deteriorating security situation across Sri Lanka. Since the beginning of this year, the ICRC has observed an increase in the number of civilians killed or injured in targeted and/or indiscriminate attacks. In the first six weeks of 2008, more than 180 civilians were reported killed and almost 270 injured in a series of attacks on civilian buses, railway stations and individuals in Colombo, Dambula, Kebhitigollewa, Madhu, Okkampitiya and Welli Oya. (ICRC)

An independent UN expert Feb. 13 hailed progress in Saudi Arabia on advancing the status of women but urged more action to prevent gender-based violence and raise their profile in public life. “Women of Saudi Arabia, in full respect of their societal values, appear ready to embark on a new stage of engagement in contributing to the advancement of their society and that of the coming generations of women and men,” the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences, Yakin Erturk, said in a statement after visiting the country from Feb. 4-13. (UN News)

Severe flooding caused by weeks of heavy rain is now known to have left 48 people dead and some 40,000 families homeless, authorities in Bolivia say. Two rivers in one of the worst-hit provinces, Beni, have broken their banks and are threatening to cut off the main city in the region, Trinidad. The government has declared a state of emergency and launched relief efforts. Among the worst-hit areas are the eastern provinces of Beni and Santa Cruz as well as Cochabamba in central Bolivia. Several thousand people have been moved from areas at risk in Beni. (BBC)

Sexually transmitted diseases have spread so widely in some Aboriginal communities that mass treatment without individual testing, even for children as young as 10, is the only way to fight the problem, according to a medical paper published Feb. 4. The authors of the paper in The Medical Journal of Australia, Dr. Frank Bowden and Dr. Katherine Fethers, contend that the traditional method of screening and treating people individually is not working because patients often move on before their test results have been returned and because of a lack of resources. (NYT)

The skills of women who work as birth attendants in rural Uganda are extremely important to the well-being of both mothers and babies. Charity groups are trying to train many of these birth attendants as far too many still rely on traditional and outdated approaches to assisting labor. The Guardian (London))

Healthcare threatened by political crisis in Kenya - Health officials are concerned about the long-term impact of Kenya’s political crisis on healthcare, especially in areas hardest hit by violence since the end of December 2007.

5 million at risk as meningitis death toll climbs in Burkina Faso - Overall 774 cases have been reported, with Mandogara district close to the Cote d’Ivoire border at epidemic levels and three other health districts on high alert.

In the DRC province of Katanga the cholera outbreak continues to spread, despite efforts, it has now claimed the lives of 97 people, and 4,029 have been infected since the first cases were reported in September 2007, according to François Dumont, spokesman for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF-Belgium). “Poor families are the most affected because they use water from wells and springs which are often contaminated,”(IRIN).

Leishmaniasis affecting children in southern Iraq - Over 180 children have been affected with Baghdad boil disease, or leishmaniasis, in Iraq’s southern province of Qadissiyah, about 130km south of Baghdad, local officials said.

Government raps emergency response commission as winter death toll rises in Afghanistan - Latest figures compiled by the Afghanistan National Disasters Management Authority (ANDMA) show that over 650 people - mostly children and the elderly - have died since December as a result of sub-zero temperatures, snow and cold-related respiratory diseases.

HIV spreads among IDUs despite campaigns in Indonesia - Drugs are a major problem in Indonesia and injecting drug use is particularly rampant. In 2006 the Ministry of Health estimated the number of injecting drug users (IDUs) at between 190,000 and 247,000. Injecting drug use is also the primary cause of HIV infection: the health ministry estimated that nearly half the 10,384 HIV/AIDS cases reported by September 2007 were IDUs. In “hot spots”, like the capital, 72 percent of HIV/AIDS patients are IDUs; in West Java that number climbs to 80 percent.

Cooking with poison - Cut-price cooking oil used in most Malian households has been found to contain gossypol, a toxic substance that is known to cause sterility, cancer and inhibit growth.

Bracing for a humanitarian emergency - Tajikistan is bracing for a compound humanitarian emergency due to prolonged power outages, an unusually long period of extremely cold weather, and resultant emerging food insecurity, according to officials.

Whooping cough outbreak in West Darfur, Sudan - A dramatic rise in whooping cough cases has been reported near El Geneina, capital of the Sudanese state of West Darfur, but insecurity has made it difficult for medical personnel to reach the affected populations, according to an international NGO.

Manila women fight contraception ban - In the Philippines, twenty of Manila’s poorest residents have filed a legal challenge against what they say is a ban on contraception.

No one needs to tell us that children who have proper diets of nutritious food from an early age will have opportunities at a more prosperous life than their malnourished counter parts. Nutrition directly relates to a child’s health, but what about a child’s future wealth?

According to a recent study in The Lancet, a leading British medical journal, economic growth is directly related to a child’s access to nutrition from an early age. A study of boys in four villages in Guatemala, showed that those receiving atole (a cereal made of skimmed milk powder, sugar and vegetable protein), up to the age of two had 46% higher earnings than those who received atole in their first three years earned 37% higher wages on average, while those who’s diet did not contain atole until after the age of three had no economic benefits as adults.

According John Hoddinott, lead author of The Lancet’s article and a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the research is the first to show direct evidence of the effects of early childhood nutrition programmes on adult economic productivity and incomes…Until the Guatemala study, “substantial, but indirect, evidence from previous research suggested that providing infants and very young children with healthy, nutritious food is a long-term economic investment for developing countries” (Good early nutrition can make you richer).

“The findings provide a strong argument for countries in Africa and Asia to increase investment in child nutrition programmes ‘as they drive long-term economic growth by leading to healthier and more productive adults.’”

Poor nutrition is directly related to a child’s development and other related diseases.  For example iron deficiency in infancy can lead to permanent loss of IQ.  Both iron deficiency and anemia can cause shortened attention span, irritability, fatigue, and difficulty with concentration.  Therefore the corelation between nutrition and a child’s ability to learn is well established, and it must be seen as a key factor in a countries long term development strategy.

Regardless of the studies results it appears an obvious that adequate nutrition should be a number one priority for both the international communities at all levels, as not only the building blocs of a child’s future, but of a nations future. Healthy children equal a healthy global economy and future for all. Sadly while it appears obvious that the solution to sustainability and prosperity lie in the early stages of child development, conflict and instability, poor government and aid infrastructures, and political will continue to hinder the development of millions of children on a daily basis across the globe.

The issue of HIV/AIDS among children is not a new one, especially as the virus continues to blight the continent of Africa, and many other developing nations. Millions of children have been given a death sentence at birth, millions more are left to suffer their dark fate alone as orphans.

The number of mother to child transmissions has decreased significantly thanks to the use of antiretroviral drugs, which are given to the infected mother in labor and to her baby at birth. The use of antiretroviral drugs has saved countless lives, giving children a chance at hope. Sadly only an estimated 9% of pregnant women infected with the virus in low and middle income countries in 2005 received antiretroviral drugs, this is an increase from 3% in 2003. While progress is worthy of celebration, it is not the end for many, as despite progress many HIV/AIDS free infants only escape their fate for a short time. Many uninfected infants become infected through the breast feeding process, due to the contamination of the mother’s milk. While many campaigns have been been put into place to educate on the risks of infected mothers breast feeding, this issues continues to be of grave concern as almost half of infections among infants occur due to transmission during the breast feeding process. While the solution may seem simple, it is complex in areas where issues of poverty, lack of clean water and adequate nutrition over shadow the long term effects of the virus.

In a recent group of studies researchers have discovered a substantial reduction in the transmission of the virus to breast-fed infants who’s antiretroviral drug courses where extended for periods up to six months.

“Breast feeding has proved to be a major stumbling block in preventing further H.I.V. transmissions from mother to child…if independent analysis of the findings from the new studies hold up, as expected, they could serve as the basis of a new standard of care. The next series of studies will need to determine the optimal time for treating mothers and infants,” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NY Times: Longer Drug Regimen Found to Help Babies Avoid H.I.V.).

While the years have lead the international community to continual progress both scientifically and socially, it is clear by the staggering numbers of new HIV/AIDS cases each year that much still needs to be done. Politics and funding play a substantial role in many not receiving antiretroviral drugs, and other need medications, while culture and lack of adequate education have also heavily contributed to the spread of the disease, especially in more rural populations. If the findings of this study prove to have significant effects, then much needs to be done to secure both funding and education, to ensure that the antiretrovials are properly and adequately administered to all those in need.
UNICEF issued a report earlier this month, “Children and AIDS: A Stocktaking”, in which is showed some 530,000 children under 15 infected, mostly through mother to child transmission, in 2006 alone, almost half would die before the age of two.

“There is an urgent need to help children impacted by HIV/AIDS… Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS is focused on ensuring treatment for HIV-positive children, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and assisting children who have been orphaned by AIDS. We must build momentum to achieve positive results for children.” UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said (UN reports progress in ending mother-infant HIV transmission but urges more action)

Please read my related articles on children and HIV/AIDS

An international study into the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) shows that each month 45,000 die from the consequences of war, disease and malnutrition. The fighting has cost the country 5.4 million lives in the last ten years, more than half of which where children, the largest death toll since World War II.

Makers of a nutritionally valuable snack Plumpy’nut are being encouraged to expand distribution to the consumer market in Niger, where half of the population is susceptible to malnutrition. Plumpy’ nut at current is only supplied to aid agencies for distribution, and many believe wide supply could help prevent malnutrition. The UN estimates that more than 50% childhood deaths of children under five in Niger are caused by malnutrition. MSF estimates only 3%, 600,000, of children with severe acute malnutrition have access to any kind of ready to use food (Reuters/IRIN).

In Afghanistan some 60,000 children are scrapping a measly living on the hard streets by begging, or selling cheap goods like gum (National Public Radio (text and audio)).

The issue of child labor in the diamond industry, has been of grave concern to many consumers, especially since the release of the movie “Blood Diamond” . Efforts to move the industry towards ‘conflict free’ or ‘fair trade’ diamonds has been growing since the establishment of the Kimberly Process in 2003. The newest to join the fight is Tiffany & Co, who has now provided Funding for TransFair USA to Explore Feasibility of Fair Trade Certified(TM) Diamonds.