Child Survival and Development Revolution

United Arab Emirates25 October 1987Draft

The world today can no longer accept the unnecessary deaths of millions of children as a result of malnutrition and preventable diseases. It is the concern of the UNICEF, in cooperation with National Governments, Non-governmental Organisations and other parties concerned, to exert all possible efforts to save the lives of children by placing simple and low-cost solutions at the disposal of everyone, specially the parents. The Child Survival and Development Programme of the UNICEF promotes the following: Oral Rehydration therapy (ORT): When a child has diarrhoea, it results in loss of body fluids causing dehydration, which may cause death in a few hours. The dehydrated child should be given Oral Rehydration Solution to compensate for the loss of fluids. ORS is easy to use, cheap and safe. Its sachets should be made available to every home. Breast-feeding: Mother's milk is best for children. Not only does it give them the ideal nutrition and natural immunity, but it also has a psychological effect, creating a bond between mother and child. Immunization: Almost 25% of the more than one million deaths each year among the under-fives in the world can be prevented by immunization against the six major diseases: polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles', and tuberculosis.