Monday, October 15, 2007

Almost half the people polled believed HIV and AIDS and malaria are the major causes of child deaths. In fact, complications at birth, pneumonia and diarrhoea are responsible for almost three out of four child deaths.

Lack of food and malnutrition leave children more vulnerable to diarrhoea, pneumonia and malaria.

Adrian Lovett, Director of Campaigns and Communications at Save the Children, said:

"The main two child killers in poor countries are pneumonia and diarrhoea. This clearly comes as a shock to most people. We've all suffered from diarrhoea - it's a common childhood problem. For us it's unpleasant, but it's not a killer.

"Yet children in poor countries are dying of it. But for the want of a few pennies to buy the essential rehydration salts they need to replace the nutrients they lose while ill, they could easily survive. In other words, despite everyone knowing how to deal with diarrhoea, it is still responsible for 20% of all child deaths.

"Millions of people want the rich world to do much more to save children's lives. What many don't realise is just how simple many of these solutions are. That's why we want Gordon Brown to join other world leaders and commit to do everything in their power to end the scandal of 30,000 children dying unnecesarily every day."

The findings

• The poll, conducted by YouGov and carried out online, showed that 34% of respondents believed HIV and AIDS to be the single biggest killer of children. However, HIV and AIDS is only responsible for 3% of the 9.7 million recorded child deaths every year.

• 13% of respondents thought malaria was responsible for the majority of child deaths every year. However, the Word Health Organisation (WHO), reports that the disease accounts for only 8% of child deaths every year.

• A similar poll conducted in the USA, by the US Coalition for Child Survial showed that, like UK respondents, Americans were also wrong about the most common causes of child deaths around the world, with 60% believing HIV and AIDS and malaria being the greatest contributors.

Child survival should take higher priority

In the UK poll, 64% of respondents 'agreed' or 'strongly agreed' that child survival should be a more significant priority in UK's international aid agenda.

What you can do

• Read more about our Free Healthcare campaign - unaffordable healthcare fees mean that millions of children across Africa are paying with their lives. We're calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to make healthcare affordable for the world's poorest children.

• Find out more about our healthcare and hunger programmes.

• Set up a Direct Debit to make regular donations to support our work.

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What you can do

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