YCPO - August 2019

Young Children Newsletter August 2019

Good morning fellow Kiwanians!

Recently at the Kiwanis International Convention in Orlando I attended “A Global Health Update” session with Dr. John Button and Dr. Wil Blechman, Past International Presidents, including an update on Maternal  Neonatal Tetanus Elimination(MMT), and an update on Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD). Kiwanis has a partnership with UNICEF  to complete these global initiatives. And both projects are “Young Children”  Projects...improving and saving the lives of young children throughout the world.

Iodine Deficiency Disorder(IDD)

Since 1994 when this program began, members and clubs have contributed more than $105M  toward the global elimination of IDD. IDD  is the leading preventable cause of mental and developmental disabilities in the world. The solution to this problem is supporting salt ionization plants and distribution, testing and monitoring, and community outreach and education.

UNICEF has reported that Kiwanis-based funds are now at work in more than 89 nations and more than 80 million children globally will be born free of IDD this year. The number of households estimated to be consuming iodized salt has jumped dramatically from 20% in 1990 to 70%  today.  This health  program is heralded as one of the most successful health initiatives in the world.

The Kiwanis and UNICEF partnership raised awareness of the problem, motivated  governments and industries to act so that millions of children have been protected from IDD. BUT there is still work to be done so that ALL children 

are born free of IDD, and UNICEF is still hard at work throughout the world dealing with this issue.

Maternal Neonatal Tetanus Eliminate (MNT)

Since 2010 when Kiwanis joined forces with UNICEF over 153 million women have been vaccinated with two or more doses of the tetanus vaccine. The disease has been eliminated in 49 countries. Today MNT remains a deadly threat in 13 countries. One baby dies every 17 minutes from MNT. Its effects are excruciating — tiny newborns suffer repeated, painful convulsions and extreme sensitivity to light and touch. MNT is a swift and painful killer disease that killed 30,848 newborns in 2017 alone.

Today the women and newborns dying of tetanus live in Africa (9countries), Middle East (3countries) and Asia Pacific (Papua New Guinea). These women are poor, have little access to health care, and have little information about safe delivery practices. 

UNICEF and it’s partners have combated MNT worldwide through education, outreach and mass immunization drives. In addition to delivering tetanus vaccines to even the most remote areas by any means necessary...including on horseback or on foot with coolers to keep the vaccines viable... UNICEF has trained midwives  in safe birthing practices and distributed safe birthing kits along with prenatal care and a wide range of other maternal and newborn health services. Once a woman of child-bearing age is immunized, her new born baby is protected for a few months, and then needs to be immunized.

To date over $88M cash has been raised with a goal of $110M. The cost per woman to be fully vaccinated is $1.80...$1.80 will save a life! As of 2018 approximately 96% reduction of deaths from tetanus has been achieved since 1998.

But, there is still work to be done! Elimination of tetanus deaths can be achieved by the end of 2020  WORLDWIDE IF funds are raised to reach the goal of $110 M. Of the 13 countries where UNICEF  is working today to eliminate MNT 10 countries have pockets of areas where women need to be vaccinated.  The other 3 countries have significant work to be done!

HOW CAN KIWANIANS HELP?

At the  International Convention Kiwanians were challenged to help with a matching fund opportunity. 

915  Kiwanians stepped up and with their generosity over $314,000 was raised.  With another 85 donors an additional $75,000. can be raised. 

Donations  will help children in places like Sudan, where 91% of newborns are susceptible to brain damage because their mothers lack iodized salt. Contributions  will also help get needed tetanus vaccines to women in countries like Nigeria, where babies still needlessly die of this preventable disease.

If you or your Club would like to  donate on line  (copy and paste in your browser)

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/kifeli2/

Or

Checks an be  made payable to:

MNT/IDD

Mail to:

Kiwanis Children's Fund

P.O. Box 6457 - Dept #286

Indianapolis, IN 46206

Thank you for your help and support!

Ava Adams, District Chair

Committee on Young Children

New England and Bermuda District

email: faithava2008@yahoo.com