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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

BURUNDI: UN agencies urge one-week ceasefire for health campaign

NAIROBI, 1 August 2003 (IRIN) - UN agencies in Burundi have appealed to warring parties to observe a one-week cessation of hostilities to enable a nationwide mother/child health campaign to take place.

The agencies have asked for safe passage of health workers, women and children during the week beginning on 4 August to allow for activities to be conducted under supervision of the Ministry of Health.

In a statement issued on Friday, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said the campaign would target mothers and young children for vaccination and distribution of Vitamin A, iron and de-worming tablets. In addition, breastfeeding would be promoted.

"Children in situations of war, poverty and displacement are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition and intestinal parasites due to precarious conditions of hygiene and environmental sanitation," UNICEF said. "A good start in life, including health and nutrition, is not a privilege or a favour, but the right of a child that should be fulfilled in all countries and contexts."

It said that activities would target approximately two million children aged one to five years and primary school children with the distribution of de-worming tablets. Some one million children aged six months to five years would receive Vitamin A supplements.

In addition, an effort to vaccinate 150,000 pregnant women against tetanus and provide them with iron tablets would also take place. Activities promoting and supporting breastfeeding would also be undertaken.

UNICEF recalled that in 2002, some 2.7 million children were vaccinated against measles, while 500,000 were vaccinated against polio and about one million received Vitamin A supplement during Burundi's national days of immunisation. "Days of Tranquillity" urged by UN agencies for the occasion enabled an average of 90-percent coverage.

UNICEF said that this year's campaign would target children aged six months to five years who were not reached by previous vaccination efforts.

"For a decade, Burundi's population has been trapped in an internal conflict often hampering access to health structures and destroying public infrastructures," UNICEF said. "The indirect consequences of war such as poverty and the lack of investment in infrastructure further threaten the development of a child in its early childhood."

It said that in Burundi, under-five mortality and maternal mortality rates were high, with 233 deaths per 1,000 children; and 800 to 1,300 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, respectively.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Health & Nutrition

[ENDS]

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