According to the United Nations, even today, the place of birth or the economic status of families significantly determines the chances of survival of millions of children around the world.
Every November 20th, Universal Children's Day is celebrated, and we at Juan Ciudad NGO want to join this day to rememberâbecause it is unfortunately often forgottenâthat children are one of the most vulnerable groups in the world. This vulnerability is exacerbated in countries with fewer resources or in conflict zones, and the effects for them are devastating.
Access to the most basic human rights is a pipe dream for millions of children around the world. Childhood, a stage that should be one of healthy growth and development in every sense and that is often crucial for the adults they will become, is cut short at an early age.
The United Nations provides figures that allow for a better understanding of this situation. According to the international organization, More than five million children die each year before reaching the age of 5. It also refers to how the place where one is born influences. Thus, it points out that Children born into poverty are almost twice as likely to die before the age of five as those born into wealthier families, while the maternal mortality rate (the proportion of mothers who do not survive childbirth compared to those who do) in developing regions is still 14 times higher than in developed regions..
These data show that there is still a long way to go to reverse these injustices, as it is unacceptable that a family's place of birth or economic means should determine a child's chances of survival.
At Juan Ciudad NGO, we are well aware of this harsh and unjust reality. Access to healthcare is not always possible for children. This is why the work of organizations like Juan Ciudad NGO is so necessary to promote projects that integrate this essential protection of children from a healthcare perspective.
Over the years, we have carried out various initiatives to improve access to healthcare for children in the countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa where we operate. One of these initiatives is located in the catchment area of St. John of God Hospital in Lunsar, Sierra Leone, where the hospital has designed an intervention that will focus on the prevention of prevalent diseases and health promotion, with special attention to women and children under 5 years of age. This initiative aims to bring healthcare and information to places where it is not widely available.
In this area of action, the under-5 mortality rate was 202 deaths per 1,000 live births, with an infant mortality rate of 101 (in Spain, it is 2.66). The prevalence of global acute malnutrition is 6.61% of the population. The prevalence of global stunting reached 27.71% of the population.
The beneficiaries of this project are, for the most part, children under 5 years old and pregnant women. The activities we are developing are focused on:
· Prenatal care and prevention of pregnancy complications.
· Food security and nutrition for children.
· Early detection of life-threatening conditions during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as emotional management of parturients.
· Neonatal resuscitation.
· Breastfeeding the newborn.
· Monitoring of children's growth and nutrition.
· Immunization through childhood vaccination.
