Tag: child mortality

The single biggest solvable problem facing the world today

Here’s a bunch of interesting facts that I just learnt from WFP (World Food Programme). As part of the article they make a big claim that “hunger is the single biggest solvable problem facing the world today” – the remarkable thing about this claim is that they say that hunger is “solvable”. You don’t really hear that too often, but it is exciting to hear this positive spin on the state of world, rather than the ‘doom and gloom’ that we often hear.

Some of these facts are a bit ‘doom and gloom’, but some definitely give hope that hunger is in fact solvable – like the fact that I can make a difference with only 25 CENTS a day – that’s around $7.50 per month to give a child a chance at a healthy life. And maybe something surprising for all us relatively comfortable Aussies – most of the world’s hungry people live on our door step – in the South Pacific (not Africa as most may think). Continue reading “The single biggest solvable problem facing the world today” →

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Not a Drop To Drink [Infographic]

According to the United Nations, unsanitary water kills more people worldwide than war. As the precious water supply dwindles, it may prove to be more than just a crisis for developing countries. Click the image below to learn more…

“Every 20 seconds a child dies from water borne illness”

Source: GOOD and Column Five Media

DO SOMETHING:

There are tons of organisations doing great work to improve access and supply of clean water to those who need it most, but here is one that I like:

Water For Water’s heart is for those in need, those who find themselves without access to safe drinking water for themselves and their families. http://www.waterforwater.com

Countdown to a Miracle

Scans of "Button"

Baby #2 (affectionately known as ‘Button’) is due anytime now. I’ve finally just started to get into the ‘baby-having’ mindset and think about the amazing but intense experience we are about to go through. As I reflect on the whole pregnancy and birth experience, I can’t help but be drawn to the bigger picture by recent experiences of friends, and also what I know about some sad experiences of pregnancy and birth that happen in the third world.

I feel so blessed to have one beautiful child, and to be on the verge of having another – if you have kids, stop for a moment and give thanks for them (even though they may drive you up the wall at times!), because it is a miracle that you were blessed with them. Speaking with my mate who recently lost his baby girl an hour after birth, we were reflecting on how the whole birthing and pregnancy experience is something that is seriously out of our control, and very much in the hands of God. Even amazing doctors, with access to the best medical resources, are sometimes powerless – they couldn’t save his little treasure. Continue reading “Countdown to a Miracle” →

Fact: The 2 biggest killers of children under the age of 5

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“The 2 biggest killers of children under the age of 5 are pneumonia and diarrhoeal diseases.”

* UNICEF / World Health Organisation / World Bank / UNFPA

TAKE ACTION: “I believe it shouldn’t end at the beginning” – check out the great campaign by Compassion called ‘I Believe‘. The sadest thing about the above fact is that these are entirely preventable and treatable diseases. Forty-three per cent of under-five deaths are attributed to the five diseases: pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, HIV/AIDS and measles – in Australia, these diseases account for just two per cent of deaths of children under five. Visit the I Believe website to learn more about child mortality and find out how you can help.