Day of the African Child – June 16, 2009
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| Source: Chris Thomas/USAID |
On the Day of the African Child, there is good news to share. Infant and child mortality rates are decreasing, with global child deaths reaching a record low of 9.2 million deaths in 2008. It is the lowest level since record keeping began in 1960. In commemoration of the Day of the African Child, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today released a report titled Two Decades of Progress: USAID’s Child Survival and Maternal Health Program [PDF, 3.9MB].
The Two Decades of Progress report documents progress in child survival and showcases USAID’s contribution to a global partnership that has resulted in saving 6 to 7 million children's lives each year and that includes other donors, non-governmental, faith-based and community organizations, the private sector, the United Nations, and host countries.
In maternal and child health, last year Congress provided USAID with a 25 percent increase in funding. In response, USAID began an agency-wide accelerated approach to increasing the survival of mothers, newborns, and young children, focusing on 30 countries with the greatest need. Seventeen of these 30 countries are in Africa, including three of the countries with the world’s largest numbers of infant and child deaths – Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This Administration and the U.S. Congress recognize this great unmet need in global health, and the great opportunity that exists to save lives. Despite significant fiscal challenges in the United States and abroad, President Obama announced in May the launch of a six-year, $63 billion global health initiative by the United States. The President’s global health initiative reaffirms this commitment of resources and leadership to continue improving the survival and health of Africa’s children.
A number of USAID-assisted countries, including some of the world’s poorest and most fragile – such as Afghanistan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Madagascar, Nepal, and Tanzania – have shown that the survival of children can be improved by 20 to 30 percent or more in just five to seven years.
The global health initiative commits us to accelerating progress by connecting our focused work on high-impact health programs through a comprehensive, integrated approach that will help countries strengthen their health systems. This approach will extend beyond health services to harness the contributions of our investments in water and sanitation, agriculture and food security, and girls’ education, among other efforts, to achieve better health for families and children. Again, a major part of this commitment will be to the countries and families of Africa.
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