This, according to World Vision National Director Marko Ngwenya, would be achieved by engaging the Malawi government to allocate at least 15 percent of its national budget towards ensuring quality and effective health service delivery as based on the Abuja Declaration.
Speaking in an interview Saturday ahead of ‘Child Health Now (CHN) campaign launch in Zomba on Tuesday, Ngwenya said the CHN campaign will focus on reducing the preventable deaths of children under the age of five.
“This is line with Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number 4 which seeks to reduce child mortality by two-thirds by 2015.
“World Vision realizes that despite improvements in key child and maternal health indicators and a strong commitment from the government, child bearing mothers and girls and children are still dying from preventable causes,” he said.
Ngwenya cited pneumonia, HIV and AIDS, malaria and diarrhoea as the main causes of death among under-five children.
The campaign will also empower communities to effectively participate in decision-making processes, take on leadership in actions and responsibilities that contribute to the improvement of the well being of newborns, under-five children and their mothers.
“Let us all value life and join hands in ensuring the survival of newborns, under-five children and their mothers,” Ngwenya said.
The launch will take place at Chingale Primary School in Malawi’s eastern region district of Zomba under the theme “Child’s Survival, Everyone’s Responsibility”. Health Minister Catherine Gotani-Hara will preside.
