We need global funding to save children's lives

Monday, June 4, 2012

June 4 readers' letters

From Mercury News readers

Posted: 06/02/2012 05:19:01 PM PST

We need global funding to save children's lives

Stacey Ross (Letters, May 29) had it right. Over the past 30 years, the number of children under 5 dying every year around the world has been reduced by half. We've achieved this through increased access to health care, including vaccine and antibiotics to fight common child killers like pneumonia and diarrhea.

But that still leaves 20,000 children dying every day worldwide from treatable and preventable diseases.

In June, world leaders and UNICEF will convene in Washington, D.C., to create a road map for ending preventable childhood deaths within a generation.

As a first step toward achieving this goal, Congress should preserve funding for global child health and other aid programs, which save lives with less than 1 percent of the federal budget.

Bruce Preville
Results Volunteer Los Gatos