Global Health. I Can Help. You Can Help. We Can Help.

   

       According to a study done by the UN, millions of children die under age 5 from preventable diseases. Each day an estimated 800 mothers and 18,000 young children die from largely preventable causes. It is staggering facts like these that prompted the UN to form Millennium Development Goals, http://www.savethechildren.net/mdg500/  to help cut poverty in half, decrease infant and maternal mortality rates and increase exposure to education by 2015.  I can help. You can help. We can help.  
The photo on the left is me carrying my youngest of seven children. The photo on the right is a woman in Tanzania carrying her baby in the same way. We are one in the same but at the same time
we are very different. We are both are mothers; mothers who love our children unconditionally. She and I know the importance of nurturing our children by holding them close. We both want our children to thrive and be healthy.
    Sadly, there are some things that I have access to, helping ensure that my baby gets off to a healthy happy start in life, that she unfortunately does not have access to, making us very different. For example access to adequate prenatal care. I can see a doctor or midwife at my choosing. Throughout my pregnancy I can have sonograms, take prenatal vitamins, have check-ups and comfortably give birth in a warm tub of water with my family, friends and midwife nearby. On the contrary, in poor and middle class countries 40 million women give birth without any skilled help – that’s more than 100,000 women every day. Even more dramatically, 2 million women a year are entirely alone when giving birth. These atrocities should not exist in any part of the world especially when affluent countries have an abundance of preventative healthcare, nutritious food, clean water, and so much
 more. Its not balanced. I can help. You can help. We can help.

The Facts:
~ about 1.5 million children die each year of a vaccine preventable disease like pneumonia, diarrhea, measles and polio.
~ More than 1 million babies die on their first and only day of life across the world, and 2.9 million in their first month.
~ 1 in 4 children under age 5 is malnourished and 18,000 will die today alone
~ While Polio is almost eradicated it sill remains endemic in 3 countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan
~Vaccines are one of the most safest and cost effective way to save and improve lives in developing countries
I am a mother of 7 and I am raising my children to become positive and productive adults who will have something to contribute to the world around them. I feel that all mothers no matter where they live or their socio-economic status, should have the same for their children; a future; a dream; a place in the world. The children of today are adults of tomorrow. We need all future adults, which are today's children to be able to contribute to global advancement but first they need a Shot At Life.

How can I help? How can you help? How can we help? 
We can start by being the voice for these women and children, knowing otherwise they don't have one.
We can reach out to our elected officials and help them understand why Global Health is important and why it needs their support.
Become an advocate for grassroots organizations like Shot@life and #SaveTheChildren (the links are below) and help them spread the word about these preventable causes of death among innocent women and children. Advocate for clean water, adequate healthcare and vaccinations.

Join the UN's  Millennium Development Goals (MDG) race to the finish line to achieve its goal of halving poverty, decreasing infant and maternal mortality rates and increasing education exposure by 2015. We are almost there; a little over 450 days to go!

Go to Walgreens and take part in the "Get a Shot Give a Shot" campaign where every time you get a flu shot, a life saving vaccine will be given to a child in a developing country.

If you want more information or want to help the future of humanity please visit the links below.
http://www.savethechildren.net/mdg500 OR http://shotatlife.org/news-media/press-releases/walgreens-and-united-nations-1.html