Malaria, diarrhoea, lack of drinking water, malnutrition, measles, tetanus, natural disasters, newborn infections, armed conflicts, pneumonia, premature births, HIV/AIDS, female circumcision, lack of interest, discrimination, lack of education. All this kills children. Most deaths can be prevented by simple and inexpensive measures; prevention could save tens of thousands of children's lives every day. Vaccines, nutritional supplements, drinking water, proper breastfeeding, washing hands with soap or enough information are enough. It sounds so simple...

Twenty-two-year-old Chaity Tripura lovingly reveals the package in her arms and proudly shows us her one-month-old daughter. "I am very happy that I was able to give birth in a hospital," says the young mother. She and her husband, who watches us warily, live in the remote village of Changyai Tripura Para, about eight kilometers from Bandarban, Bangladesh.

This beautiful, geographically isolated area full of greenery is mainly inhabited by the original inhabitants. So far, health care is only available here thanks to mobile units that vaccinate, administer vitamins and nutritional supplements, and educate. "In the last weeks before the birth of my daughter, my hands and legs were shaking," recalls Chaity. "I fainted often. My in-laws were worried and took me to the local hospital." Her husband, who is three years her senior, paid 4,000 taka (about $57) to rent a vehicle and drive her into town to see a doctor. He grows spices and someone advised him to put some of the money he earned aside. He had been saving ever since Chaity got pregnant, so he was now able to get her to the hospital where she gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

Not everywhere in the world do they know the risks of pregnancy, how important hygiene is during childbirth, that there is a doctor, where to go when you are sick, and where the nearest hospital is. Therefore, UNICEF's agenda will also focus on supporting the education and training of health professionals, community and social workers, and local authorities and opinion leaders.

We support newborn and pregnant women registration programs, mobile health teams, negotiate prices and supply vaccines, therapeutic nutrition, antibiotics, vitamin and micronutrient supplements. We are fighting for the eradication of polio and the elimination of neonatal tetanus, and we are witnessing progress in reducing child mortality from these diseases. We provide mosquito nets, equipment for maternity hospitals, care for children with HIV/AIDS and orphans, support and educate about proper breastfeeding and hygiene techniques, and provide aid logistics.

We enable children to go to school and support gender equality in education. We help develop systems for water quality control or morbidity records; especially in rural areas. We advise governments in determining priorities and setting budgets for children's aid, focusing on analysis, advocacy and protection of children's rights. When participating in the achievement of the fourth millennium development goal, we also focus on partnerships that will help us on the way to achieving it.

The UNICEF representation in Slovakia also contributes to the achievement of the fourth goal through Blue Button Week and other collections. Donors' contributions from Slovakia help to finance therapeutic treatment for chronically malnourished children in Zimbabwe, the purchase of tetanus vaccines for Mauritania and vaccines against six deadly diseases for other countries, the supply of oral rehydration salt and the transport of neonatal tetanus vaccines to Laos.

The UNICEF Children's Fund operates in nearly 200 countries and territories around the world, and since 1965, when it won the Nobel Peace Prize for millions of lives saved, its mission to help children has changed from "survive" to "survive and enable full development." Between 1960 and 2002, we witnessed a reduction in the under-five mortality rate by half. We have seen that supplies of oral rehydration salts prevent a million deaths, that vitamin A can save a quarter of a million lives a year, and that vaccination programs protect the lives of four million children each year.

Author: Anna Beňová http://www.unicef.sk http://www.priateliadeti.sk

The article was published in the Development Aid - Fall 2010* newsletter. It is published by Platforma mimovládnych rozvojových organizácií (MVRO), which is an association of legal entities - an umbrella organization of 31 (23 regular members and 8 observers) Slovak non-governmental organizations that deal mainly with foreign development and humanitarian aid. http://www.mvro.sk*