Global Child Survival

Among the most critical health emergencies in the developing world is ensuring young children's very survival. Every year more than 9 million children die from preventable or treatable diseases, such as diarrhea, pneumonia, and measles. Four million of these deaths occur to babies less than one month old. In Afghanistan, for example, one child out of five dies before his or her fifth birthday.

U.S. leadership has made an enormous contribution in saving children's lives over the past two decades. Unfortunately, funding for these programs has remained stagnant in recent years, and these life-saving programs in many countries have not kept pace with need. If we can encourage the United States Government, other major donor nations as well as governments in developing countries to demonstrate leadership on this issue by making saving the lives of children a greater priority, we could save more than 6 million children each year in the developing world, where 99 percent of child deaths occur.

The advent of a new Administration and a new Congress brings a unique opportunity for the U.S. to strengthen its role in saving the lives of children.  Save the Children is calling on the Obama Administration to make this a priority, and we were encouraged by the Administration's top-line budget summary in February which signaled an intention to increase funding for maternal and child health programs.  We are advocating with Congress to pass the Newborn, Child and Mother Survival Act (H.R. 1410), which would permit greater investment in low-cost, highly effective, lifesaving interventions, such as vitamins, antibiotics and vaccines.  You can help make a real difference and save these young lives.

After-School Programs

After-school programs play a critical role in the lives of children, families and communities throughout America. According to school officials and experts, after-school programs improve academic performance, promote positive social development, and lower incidences of drug-use, violence, and pregnancy. In communities where infrastructure and resources are limited, after-school programs may offer the only opportunity for academic, recreational, and creative enrichment. There is a substantial underinvestment of resources to adequately provide communities with quality after-school programs. Rural areas face the most barriers in implementing effective after-school programs; high poverty, transportation challenges due to geographic isolation, a shortage of financial resources and private partners, and difficulty recruiting and retaining staff impedes successful after-school programs.

Save the Children is helping develop and provide vital after-school programs in rural areas by asking Members of Congress to support legislation to improve after-school programs through grant funding. The Investment in After-School Programs Act, calls for a pilot program to establish or improve rural after-school. Programs that successfully apply and meet requirements will receive a grant of $50,000 or more to make investments in projects or activities which are needed to create or strengthen rural after-school programs.