Child Health on a Global Scale
Globally, over 7.7 million children under the age of five years die each year. Ninety percent of all these child deaths occur in developing countries (UNICEF 2009). Most child deaths are easily preventable; and are because of treatable conditions such as acute respiratory infections (pneumonia), diarrhea, malaria, malnutrition and neonatal complications. These children do not need to die.
| It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of childhood deaths could be prevented with a few basic and inexpensive interventions (DFID 2004). |
Over half of all global child deaths occur in Africa (UN 2009). Most Sub-Saharan African countries have made insufficient progress toward achieving Millennium Development Goal 4: To reduce mortality in children under five years of age by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015 (UNICEF 2008).
Child Health in Uganda
In Uganda, 65 of 1000 babies die within the first year of life; 130 of 1000 will die before their fifth birthday (UNICEF 2009). For children living in rural communities the statistics are even worse than the national average. Given these realities, improving child health is very important to Ugandan communities and government.
| Approximately 200,000 Ugandan children under the are of five die each year, making Uganda's child mortality rate among the highest in the world (UNICEF 2009) |
A Look at Rural SW Uganda
Most families in rural southwestern Uganda live in extreme poverty. They depend on farming to feed themselves their families, but often don’t get enough to eat because of crop failure, too few cash crops, and high population density. Most villages are accessible only by dirt roads or walking paths. Homes are built from mud or local brick with thatched or iron-sheet roofing, and almost all (99%) don’t have running water or electricity. Sanitation is limited. Most households use simple pit latrines - organized sewage systems are rare. Firewood, used for cooking and to boil water, is also scarce.
| A 2006 survey of HCU villages showed that to fetch water (often not from a clean source) takes a mother an average of 47 minutes per trip. |
Health care can be very difficult to access. Health centres may be far away and often lack sufficiently trained personnel, proper equipment and adequate drugs.
| Healthy Child Uganda is an essential project because too many children are dying and their deaths are preventable. |
Community Health Workers (CHWs)
Community Health Workers (CHWs) are local people trained to provide basic health services to their own communities. Where there aren’t enough doctors and nurses, especially in rural areas, CHWs are an effective resource, bridging the gap to provide education and advice and to ensure that sick children get the simple, low-cost treatments they need.
Since 2004, HCU has been developing a CHW model, and in the process, HCU has become a leader in CHW training and programming. In 2010, Uganda officially rolled out a country-wide program of Village Health Teams (VHTs).Now for the first time, CHWs are a formally recognized part of Uganda’s national health care system.
Some Ugandan Statistics*
|
Population |
32.3 million |
|
Age Structure |
0-14 years: 50% 15-64 years: 47.9% 65 years and over: 2.1% |
|
Median Age |
15 years |
|
Population Growth Rate |
2.7% (2010) |
|
Urban Population |
13% (2008) |
|
Infant Mortality Rate |
65 deaths/1000 live births (2009) |
|
Child (Under-five) Mortality Rate |
130 deaths/1000 (2009) |
|
Annual No. of Under-five (U5) Deaths |
190,000 (2008) |
|
Life Expectancy at Birth |
53 years |
|
Fertility Rate |
6.7 born children/woman (2010) |
*CIA World Factbook and UNICEF country statistics