Call for an end to preventable child deaths Child Health Now is a global movement to ensure children can grow up healthy in their communities, with access to basic health services, adequate nutrition, and disease prevention. Learn more Progress is possible | The political will to make it happen Broken promises | Top child killers | What the United States can do Take action | Involve others | Learn more Why we advocate Jesus Christ is the model and basis for our advocacy — namely, His identification with the poor, the afflicted, the oppressed, and the marginalized. Read more Back to Top

Today, more than 20,000 children under 5 will die of preventable causes. Many of these children are newborns in their first month of life, and almost all of these children die of treatable afflictions such as pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Progress is possible

There is some good news. Globally, the mortality rate for children under 5 has dropped by more than one-third since 1990, falling from 12 million children a year to 7.6 million, thanks to a variety of efforts.

The decrease in early childhood deaths worldwide is accelerating; however, it’s still falling behind goals in several regions, especially parts of Africa and Asia.

The political will to make it happen

Simple and low-cost interventions that already exist can further reduce these deaths by as much as two-thirds. The key is making sure that vulnerable families can access basic health services, and that communities can put these solutions into practice.

What’s needed are the political will and resources to make it happen.

Speak out now.

Broken promises

Child health is one of the soundest investments the international community can make. Although world leaders have made many promises to keep children healthy, those promises have been broken in many cases by lack of follow-through and funding.

Where governments have made child health a priority — even in the poorest countries — many lives have been saved and improved.

Top child killers

Globally, the major killers of children under age 5 are neonatal causes, such as complications during pregnancy and birth, as well as a handful of preventable infectious diseases — pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, and malaria.

Malnutrition also underlies more than a third of early childhood deaths.

Below are three of the top killers of children:

Malaria: Transmitted by a mosquito bite, malaria causes 2,000 child deaths a day — most of them in Africa among poor populations who tend to live in malaria-prone areas. A majority of malaria deaths are also attributable to under-nutrition, according to the World Food Program. Still, malaria is preventable and treatable. Visit our End Malaria campaign site to learn about how you can help end malaria.

Under-nutrition: Nutrition for a child’s first 1,000 days — from conception to age 2 — is vital for lifelong health. Children, along with pregnant and nursing mothers, are at the highest risk of undernourishment and the most in need of adequate nutrients to be healthy. Moderately underweight children are more than four times more likely to die from infectious disease than are well-nourished children.

AIDS: Children under 15 account for one in six AIDS-related deaths and one in seven new HIV infections, which usually occur at birth or through breastfeeding. AIDS also destabilizes families and entire societies, leaving children without the care and support necessary to survive and thrive. The United States has made significant contributions to the AIDS fight through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), launched in 2003. However, that funding is now at risk as Congress considers budget cuts.

What the United States can do

The U.S. International Affairs Budget provides critical, life-saving assistance to combat extreme poverty, hunger, child mortality, and diseases like AIDS and malaria.

Just 1.4 percent of the total federal budget goes to international development, health, and humanitarian assistance, yet even that portion of funding is now at risk of significant cuts by Congress.

We are asking Congress to protect the International Affairs budget from drastic and disproportionate cuts. There are few places in the U.S. federal budget where dollars translate so directly into lives saved.

Take action

• Speak out to stop preventable child deaths. Ask Congress to support the International Affairs Budget and oppose major cuts to this account. There are few places in the U.S. federal budget where dollars translate so directly into lives saved.
• Pray for children who are vulnerable to these diseases. Pray that countries with the power to act and save lives would do so.
• Make a one-time gift to help provide life-saving medicines and supplies. Your gift, combined with supplies donated by top pharmaceutical companies, multiplies 11 times to help save children and families in 20 of the world’s poorest countries.

Involve others: Child Health Now group activities

Download the resources below to host group activities that explore the reasons why we are called to act to help end preventable child deaths.

• Child Health Now Safari Mystery Dinner (pdf): Suitable for small groups and older-age youth groups, this activity-based group meal is a cross between a safari dinner, a murder mystery, and twenty questions!
• Child Health Now Small Group Bible Study (pdf): This study invites participants to explore what Scripture has to say about caring for those in need, especially children.
• Child Health Now Congregation Session (pdf): An interactive session that works well for all ages, this activity explores the causes of under-5 mortality around the world, and invites participants to reflect on the character and promises of God within this context and take action to end preventable child deaths.

Learn more

• Download our Child Health Now fact sheet (PDF) for child health facts and statistics, information about progress so far, and more.
• Visit ChildHealthNow.org to learn more about Download World Vision’s global campaign to end preventable child deaths.
• Browse this review of what World Vision’s Child Health Now campaign is doing globally to improve child and maternal health and survival.
• World Vision’s Child Health Now report (pdf) examines this silent emergency and outlines steps that wealthy countries must take to significantly curb preventable child deaths.