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Why the Children Are Dying

In the time it takes you to read this sentence, three children will die needlessly.

BUT it is neither flood nor famine nor drought that is squeezing the life out of children at the astonishing rate of one every two seconds. Writes William U. Chandler in the Worldwatch Institute report State of the World 1986: “More children die because they are improperly weaned than because of famine. More children die because their parents do not know how to manage diarrhea than because of epidemics. . . . Analysts generally agree that about 17 million children die each year from the combined effects of poor nutrition, diarrhea, malaria, pneumonia, measles, whooping cough, and tetanus. Virtually all these deaths occur in the Third World.”

The tragedy of such loss is heightened by a terrible irony. Continues Chandler: “Half to two thirds [of these deaths] could be prevented with relatively simple measures.” (Italics ours.) Yes, parents in developing lands need not wait for grandiose governmental schemes or large-scale health projects. The know-how to help them save the lives of their children already exists! All that is needed is a willingness on their part to learn and to implement some relatively simple and inexpensive measures. We thus invite you to read the reports of Awake! correspondents in two African countries. It is hoped that these articles will prove not only informative but lifesaving.