NO CHILD SHOULD SUFFER FROM A LACK OF AVAILABLE MEDICAL CARE

A child under 15 dies every five seconds around the world.

Millions of families fall into poverty every year to pay for necessary medical care. Millions of others simply cannot afford treatment for their child suffering from life-threatening illnesses. We fund robust health and medical programs to save lives and ensure children grow up healthy and happy.

The Right to Healthcare

According to Humanium, the right to healthcare still isn’t a reality for millions of children around the globe, and more particularly in developing countries. Every year, over 13 million children under the age of five years die from illnesses which could have been avoided or treated.

Globally, the majority of child and young adolescent deaths occur at the youngest ages, with the risk of dying highest in the first month of life.

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Healthcare Statistics

Studies from World Health Organization and UNICEF USA show that:

▪ Malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia are among the top killers of children under the age of five
▪ Nearly half of all child deaths happen in the first 28 days of life
▪ The world's poorest countries usually don’t have enough staff and healthcare equipment to offer healthcare access to the most in need
▪ The countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia only count one doctor for over 2,000 inhabitants; this is six times less than in developed countries
▪ Many children die because they are force to wait too long before undergoing examination or vital care

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Preventable Illnesses

Most children under the age of die due to preventable or treatable causes such as complications during birth, pneumonia, diarrhea, neonatal sepsis, and malaria. By comparison, among children between five and 14 years of age, injuries become a more prominent cause of death, especially from drowning and road traffic.

Within this age group, regional differences also exist, with the risk of dying for a child from Sub-Saharan Africa 15 times higher than in Europe.

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Pediatric Cancer

World Health Organization's global initiative for childhood cancer shows that cancer is a leading cause of death for children and adolescents around the world and approximately 300,000 children ages 0 to 19 years old are diagnosed with cancer each year.

In high-income countries, more than 80% of children with cancer are cured, but in many low- and middle-income countries, only about 20% are cured. Avoidable deaths from childhood cancers in low- and middle-income countries result from lack of diagnosis, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, obstacles to accessing care, abandonment of treatment, death from toxicity, and higher rates of relapse.

DANA’S FIGHT AGAINST CANCER

Dana was diagnosed with leukemia at seven years old. In Mexico, cancer is one of the leading causes of death for children between five and 14 years old. She was determined to fight, but treatment was difficult. Dana and her mom could barely sleep, eat or rest since the hospital was far from home, and expenses began piling up. A social worker referred them to Casa de la Amistad, a program founded by our 2015 Honoree Amalia Garcia Moreno.

As soon as they arrived, their lives improved dramatically. Casa de la Amistad provides life-saving treatment and comfortable, safe housing for families during treatment at little or no cost. Today, Dana is in remission and has dreams of becoming a doctor!