Media advisory: World Vision invites Parisians to take a chance at life: Will you be left hungry?

PARIS, 31 October 2011 — Media advisory:

WHO:		On the eve of the G20 Summit in Cannes, France, World Vision invites Parisians to learn more about the “geographic lottery” of life by participating in a game of chance. Chance dictates where each of us is born – and whether or not we will have enough to eat, be able to attend school, or live to see past our fifth birthday. As global leaders meet to discuss critical issues for our world today, including many that impact food security and nutrition, this interactive, thought-provoking experience encourages each participant to take action and urge G20 leaders to remember those children born on the wrong side of chance.
WHAT:		Crowds of Parisians spin the “wheel of fortune” to see what happens in this game of chance. Are you a winner or a loser? Note: Spokespeople will be available in French, English, and German.
WHERE:		Parvis des Droits de l'Homme, esplanade du Trocadéro, (Metro Trocadéro), Paris, France
WHEN:		Tuesday, 1 November 2011, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Local time, Paris)
BACKGROUND:		A child like Giulia Sarkozy born in France is 43 times more likely to celebrate their fifth birthday than a child born in a country like Chad. In France, malnutrition is virtually unheard of in young children. However as one of the least developed countries in the world, Chad is the perfect example of a country in greatest need of G20 support. Children in Chad are dying of things children in France so rarely die of—things like diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia. About one-third of children could be saved with better nutrition and G20 food security measures could make that happen. To date, the G20 has identified the major causes of the hunger crisis and has supported a number of actions intended to reduce these problems such as the piloting of emergency food reserves, establishment of an agricultural market information system, acknowledging the importance of agriculture in improving child nutrition and continuing the implementation of the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative. However the G20 must go further than this. With its significant member resources and political clout, the G20 is in a unique position to ensure that effective continuing mechanisms and strategies are in place to solve these problems. Children will continue to die unless leaders ensure simple and affordable measures reach the doorsteps of children and mothers in developing countries.

FAST FACTS ON CHILD NUTRITION:

• 7.6 million children die before their fifth birthday every year.
• More than 350,000 women die each year during childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications.
• In France, only four children in every 1,000 die before age five. In Chad, this number is 173 per 1,000, meaning that 1 in 6 children die before age five.
• The former French colony of Chad is among the five worst countries in the world for a child to be born.
• Chad is one of only four countries categorized as “extremely alarming” in the 2011 Global Hunger Index.

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About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. Visit www.worldvision.org/press.