05 May 6 Reasons to Help Moms Make a Healthier World
Photo Credit: Simi Vijay
Mothers are at the root of healthy families and strong communities. Giving mothers everywhere the tools they need to protect their children has been a great—and necessary—investment. More kids than ever before have access to vaccines and treatment for common childhood illnesses.
On Mother’s Day, let’s recommit to helping moms make a healthier world. You can contribute through the Global Moms Relay, hosted by the United Nations Foundation. Here’s six reasons why you should chip in for children’s health:
1. Immunization is one of the most successful and cost-effective means to help children grow into healthy adults. Immunization currently saves 2 to 3 million children’s lives every year.
2. Yet, 1 in 5 children worldwide is still not receiving the immunizations he or she needs. Every 20 seconds, a child dies of a vaccine-preventable disease like pneumonia or diarrhea.
3. In fact, pneumonia is the leading killer of children under the age of 5. According to UNICEF’s A Promise Renewed Progress Report 2015, pneumonia is responsible for 16% of under-5 deaths, 3% of which are newborns.
4. The good news: Pneumonia is preventable. It can be effectively averted by exclusively breastfeeding, promoting regular hand washing, increasing access to clean water and eliminating household air pollution.
5. When it comes to treatment, antibiotics are cheap and effective. Amoxicillin can prevent the majority of pneumonia deaths and costs only about $0.21-$0.42 USD per treatment course.
6. Mothers can lend their voices to protect all children. The United Nations Foundation is running the annual Global Moms Relay—a digital campaign to raise money and support moms and babies around the world. From May 4 to June 17, celebrities, community leaders, experts and parents will share their personal stories on what they wish were true for every child, everywhere. For each like, tweet, comment or share on social media, Johnson & Johnson donates $1 to causes that help improve health worldwide: Shot@Life, Girl Up, Peace Corps Let Girls Learn Fund, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and Nothing But Nets. Learn more about the campaign and how to contribute.
Sources: IVAC, WHO, American Academy of Pediatrics