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Human right health
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Promoting child health
Some 21,000 children die every day from diseases that are mostly avoidable and curable. Millions of people the world over are working hard to end to this tragedy.
More than one third of these children die in the first weeks of life – usually at home and without having received any medical assistance. The most common causes of death are respiratory tract infections, diarrhoeal diseases, malaria and measles. Very often these diseases end in death because the sick children are malnourished, have no clean drinking water and live in poor hygienic conditions. Malnutrition is a causal factor of death in more than one third of cases.
It is estimated that at least two thirds of child deaths could be prevented through simple and cost-effective measures. But health care services are not efficient enough to be able to offer these interventions, especially in the poorest countries.
Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses
Germany promotes the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) within the scope of its development cooperation. The strategy was developed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It comprises a broad spectrum of measures operating at different levels. They include disease prevention in childhood, as well as information and education, improvement of living conditions and the treatment of illnesses.
IMCI is implemented by health care facilities, communities and families working together. This means, for example, that schools incorporate health education into their curricula or that water supply programmes are flanked by health and hygiene education in order to systematically improve hygiene.
International organisations such as UNICEF and the WHO advocate applying simple measures that can contribute significantly to children surviving even without the need for medical care. These include
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Breastfeeding newborns up to the age of six months,
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Sleeping under insecticide-impregnated mosquito nets and the use of effective antimalarial drugs,
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Use of special water-based drinks (oral rehydration therapy, ORT) to treat diarrhoeal diseases,
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Treating pneumonia with antibiotics, and
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Vaccinations against six important diseases.
Germany’s commitment
Germany promotes a wide variety of interventions designed to reduce child mortality and to promote child health in the context of realising each child’s right to health. The following examples demonstrate the scope of Germany’s commitment within development policy:
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Strengthening health systems
Preventive health services for mothers and newborns are indispensible when it comes to reducing maternal and newborn mortality. Treating respiratory tract and diarrhoeal diseases and malaria can often save the lives of children under the age of five. Strengthening health systems and promoting universal access to basic health care are, therefore, important approaches. -
Disease control
Germany supports organisations like the WHO and UNICEF when it comes to disease control. These organisations conduct targeted, nationwide campaigns, such as the poliomyelitis immunisation programmes. Germany also co-finances programmes geared to the timely treatment of diarrhoeal diseases, malaria and respiratory tract infections. -
Prevention
Germany promotes infectious disease prevention in a number of partner countries as part of its activities to strengthen health services in general. At well-baby clinics mothers have someone they can put their questions to. The clinics also provide targeted preventive care services for mothers and children. -
Awareness-raising
Awareness-raising measures designed to improve neonatal health are integrated into the Safe Motherhood Programme. They serve to reduce the risk of children being born prematurely or underweight. This often occurs when mothers are suffering from malaria or tuberculosis or if they have to work too hard during pregnancy. Preventing HIV infection is predominantly about making people aware and providing them with information. -
Counselling
Counselling services can impact on established ways of thinking and traditional practices, for example on the low esteem in which girls are held in certain countries or on the practice of female genital mutilation. Food taboos and behavioural rules that are detrimental to children’s health are also raised during counselling. -
Education
Germany promotes basic education for girls and awareness-raising in the field of sexual and reproductive health. Education activities relating to health, human rights and management capabilities are also implemented in association with income-generating measures. -
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
Around 28 per cent of deaths among the under fives are linked to inadequate water supply and poor sanitation as well as to a lack of hygiene. Many waterborne diseases can, however, be prevented by taking simple preventive measures. School health programmes teach children which behaviour is beneficial to health. Schoolchildren are especially sensitive to behavioural changes and carry that knowledge and behaviour into their families, communities and, later as adults, to subsequent generations.
Information
See also
- Issues: Children's and young people's rights
- World Health Organization
- United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
External links
- German Health Practice Collection: Showcasing health and social protection for development
- The State of the World's Children 2009: Maternal and Newborn Health
A UNICEF publication
(PDF 2.3 MB) - The State of the World's Children 2008: Child Survival
A UNICEF publication
(PDF 4.4 MB) - WHO information on the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI)
- WHO information on child health
- UNFPA information on safe motherhood
