On Mother’s Day, a call to help families everywhere

In our wealthy country, Mother’s Day can and will be celebrated today with flowers, gifts, brunches and phone calls. As the heart of many a busy family, the modern American mom richly deserves a day of glory all her own. But as the Save the Children organization’s “State of the World’s Mothers: Saving the Lives of Children Under 5” report tells us, too many moms around the world today are struggling to keep their families together and alive.
More than 10 million children die each year before the age of 5. “In 2007, when we know what to do and how little it costs, that 28,000 kids are still dying each day is just plain wrong,” said David Oot, one of the report’s researchers. Young-child mortality trends are worst in Iraq, because of the violence, and Botswana, Zimbabwe and Swaziland, because of AIDS. The report concludes that political will means more than money in how a poor nation’s children fare. But it’s also a reminder of how far donated dollars can go in developing countries to pay for simple, lifesaving measures such as vaccinations and mosquito nets.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

5 Comments

  1. Mary Caruso
    Posted May 13, 2007 at 9:35 am | Permalink

    The problem is that much of the donated money goes to the corrupt governments that are totally responsible for the strife in their countries.I have a friend who goes to Vietnam with a group of doctors each year to perform surgeries on children who otherwise would have no medical treatment. She pays for the privelege of doing it and the government pockets most of the money that is meant for medicine and supplies..they often do bone surgeries with no medicine for pain relief afterward on these kids. The Vietnamese government doesn’t value or provide health care for anyone except the workers, children in that country have no consideration whatsoever.

  2. Kev
    Posted May 13, 2007 at 10:17 am | Permalink

    The funy thing about it is this- by the time Iraq is done- which may take about 20 years or more because of our stupidity- we will have spent over $2 trillion. If we had taken a different tact with that money and used to to do things for the Arabs in Iraq and the middle east, the Palestinians and the Africans to help the poor and the sick, we would have bought a whole more good will from the world. That kind of money could have done a lot of things for poor people in poor nations. If we could vaccinate a few million kids and provide mosquito abatement and sewage treatment for people and show them how to live healthy and build an economy, they would be greatful. Remember how Bill Clinton used to help the poor and how much sympathy and support we got after 9/11 from the world? Bush has ruined all that now. My hope for America is that we can get that back after Bush is gone but it will take a long time to undo the damages the Republicans have caused.

  3. Joe Williams
    Posted May 13, 2007 at 12:57 pm | Permalink

    Reintroducing DDT back to African counties with malaria problems will save millions.

    The good news is that the consensus of scientist agree with that DDT should be reintroduced as their environmental impact portrayed by radical environmentalist were largely false or grossly exaggerated.

    In September 2006, almost 30 years after it phased out widespread indoor spraying of DDT, the World Health Organization has announced that DDT will be used as one of the three main tools against malaria. WHO is hence recommending indoor residual spraying (IRS) in epidemic areas, as well as in places with constant and high malaria transmission. The USAID subsequently announced that it would fund the use of DDT.

    Now! Environmentalist! Back the F-off and let people live. The Scientific Consensus has spoken. DDT can be used safely and without environmental impact. The debate is over.

  4. ksgrm
    Posted May 13, 2007 at 1:06 pm | Permalink

    Remember how Bill Clinton used to help the poor and how much sympathy and support we got after 9/11 from the world?

    Posted by: Kev | May 13, 2007 at 10:17 AM

    Kev I am sure you are right on this but can you refresh my mind. What poor kids did Clinton take care of and what countries rushed in to help after 9/11 before Bush ruined it all?

  5. ken
    Posted May 13, 2007 at 4:29 pm | Permalink

    I think there names were Tom, Larry, Moe Shep, John and Pablo