World Health Day: Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures

This year, we’re celebrating World Health Day under the banner of “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures”. World Health Day is observed every year on April 7th, with the aim of raising awareness about health priorities around the world and spotlighting issues that require urgent action. As we mark this important day, we’d like to share some facts on newborn and maternal health as well as just a few ways IsraAID’s global teams are working to create a brighter future for mothers and children living through crisis.  

DID YOU KNOW: Nearly half of deaths among children under 5 are linked to malnutrition? 

Around the world, IsraAID’s health programs tackle malnutrition at a community level – from Malawi, Kenya, and Guatemala, to South Sudan, Uganda, and Vanuatu. In Vanuatu, IsraAID is working to tackle stunting – a severe, and permanent form of malnutrition – in the rural community of Emau Island. IsraAID trained community health outreach workers, and designed unique, easy to understand flipcharts to share knowledge on nutrition, health, sanitation, and malnutrition. Outreach workers go door-to-door, empowering communities with the knowledge, materials, and skills they need to ensure a healthy future for their children. 

DID YOU KNOW: Exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life can reduce infant mortality by up to 13%? 

In Kakuma, Kenya, home to hundreds of thousands of refugees and host community members, IsraAID created special breastfeeding corners in local health centers. They provide a private and comfortable place for new mothers to breastfeed their children, meet with lactation specialists and access crucial information on breastfeeding. These spaces are especially important for teen mothers, who often feel uncomfortable breastfeeding in public. To create support structures in the community, IsraAID also runs Mother-to-Mother groups that focus on topics such as breastfeeding and maternal and child health. 

DID YOU KNOW: Communicable and waterborne diseases, including diarrheal diseases, are responsible for nearly 30% of all deaths in children under 5 worldwide. 

The recent cholera outbreak in South Sudan has been amplified by ongoing civil conflict and crowded conditions in local refugee camps. With proper sanitation, awareness of prevention measures, and early treatment, cholera is highly preventable. IsraAID’s Oral Rehydration Points provide safe drinking water, treatment for early signs of cholera, and information on sanitation and cholera prevention. By focusing on early intervention and prevention, IsraAID is minimizing the spread of cholera and saving lives for healthier communities. 

These examples are just a few of the ways IsraAID works every day to help build more resilient communities – in times of crisis and in the long-term.  Together, we support collective action for a healthier future – starting with mothers and newborns. To support IsraAID, this World Health Day and all year long, please consider donating.