RIYADH, 25 February 2007 — Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie has called for increased vaccination programs in the Arab world where the mortality rates for under-fives have increased by 13 percent. Some 640 million children lack adequate shelter; 500 million others have no access to sanitation and some 400 million depend on water unfit for consumption. The number of the severely undernourished is 90 million.
The minister was speaking yesterday at the opening of a three-day international conference on Arab Child Health. Delegates from Arab and Gulf countries are participating in the conference organized in collaboration with the Arab League. The theme is “Arab Children’s Health is the Ummah’s Investment.” The conference will discuss the health of Arab children and identify the health problems facing them. The delegates will work out a strategy for dealing with the problem in terms of educational and training programs.
The Third Millennium Development Goals for 2015 seek to reduce by two-thirds under-five mortality rates; reduce by three-quarters the maternal mortality rates; stop the spread of HIV/AIDS; and bring malaria and other major diseases under control.
Dr. Al-Manie said the Kingdom was giving due importance to child-related health issues as well as those concerning education and social development. It was in the forefront of the effort to formulate child-oriented welfare programs whether in terms of the rules and regulations or institutions and infrastructure projects for the child’s benefit.
He said: “Official statistics indicate a decline in the incidence of the targeted diseases as a result of the prevention (vaccination) program. Also, no birth certificate for a new born child can be issued without a vaccination certificate.”
Speaking on behalf of AGFUND, Prince Talal, its president, said the health of an individual, the building block of a society, is at the core of national progress. “It is the foundation on which the structure of a society is built. Whenever it is strong, the country is strong. The health of the child in particular reflects the success or failure of investment for the cause of human welfare.”
Referring to risk factors affecting the health of Saudi youth, Education Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Obaid said they included smoking, a lack of exercise, the consumption of too much fat in food and a generally unhealthy lifestyle. The combination of these factors leads to an increase in cases of diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis (brittle and fragile bones).
“This poses a serious threat to our society by causing a drain on the national economy,” the minister said, calling for a concerted drive against those things which undermine national development. Raising the level of awareness among students through educational programs could play an important role in this regard, he added.
According to the UNICEF report, there is a strong correlation between reduction of child mortality and a sustained immunization program. But even with child mortality reduced by nearly two-thirds in the past decade, some 600,000 children under five continue to die every year in the Arab world. At least half of these deaths would be easily preventable through improved nutrition and immunization interventions.
The report also refers to HIV/AIDS cases and focuses on those who continue to represent the most vulnerable group. Three out of four young people living with HIV are young girls. UNICEF also cites Sudan, the Palestinian territories and Iraq where thousands of children are affected by the continuing violence and face serious setbacks in their health and well-being.
