UNICEF and WHO propose plan to eradicate deaths of children under 5 years old

UNICEF and WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF developed a plan to reduce the deaths of children under 5 years due to complications caused by pneumonia and diarrhea. This plan has a cost of $6 billion, in addition to the current expenditure, in the fight against these two diseases.

The action plan of WHO and UNICEF, primarily aims to reduce  75% of the number of cases by 2025. Also, it’s objective is to reduce by 40% the number of cases of growth retardation in children under five years old registered in  2010.

In 2011, 81% of deaths due to pneumonia and 72% by diarrhea, occurred in children under two years old. The largest number of cases is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. They allege that implementing this plan, by 2025 would result in less than three deaths for pneumonia per thousand births, and one death for diarrhea per thousand newborns.

The goal is that 90% of children have access to antibiotics against pneumonia and to oral rehydration salts against diarrhea, and that 90% of children under five have access to vaccines against pneumococcus (a bacterium that causes 30% of cases of pneumonia) and the rotavirus vaccine (which causes 20% of cases of severe diarrhea) .