VIENTIANE, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The recent death of a polio-stricken
8-year-old Lao boy had refocused local and world attention to polio, an
ailment which is now almost extinct in other parts of the world.
The death has drawn the attention of policymakers from the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as they gather in the nation's capital Vientiane for a five-day Ministerial Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication.
A personal tragedy for the boy's family and a deep concern for local and national Lao health authorities, the death also marks a setback in the global fight against the disease and the attainment of a "polio-free world."
The incident has also drawn attention to the plight of children in the developing country of some seven million, whose population is mostly young people and is set to surpass 10 million by the end of the decade.
One particularly passionate advocate of children in Laos and beyond is United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative for Laos, China's Ms Hongwei Gao.
Speaking to Xinhua's Vientiane Bureau, Ms. Gao said the death was a reminder that every child must be immunized to prevent polio and other potentially fatal or debilitating illnesses.
"The polio virus can cause lifelong paralysis. There is no cure but it can be prevented by vaccine. We are now close to a polio-free world, but there is only one way to reach it: take action and immunize all children," she said.
Meanwhile, the launch of a national polio vaccination campaign by the country's Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong Thursday was a demonstration of high level commitment to the cause.
"In the past two or three years the government of Laos has sharply increased this budget allocation to support national immunization program to buy good quality vaccines...this is evidence of action to concretely support child development," Ms. Gao said.
She said Laos had made great strides to achieve the Millennium Development Goals set for 2015, particularly in reducing extreme poverty and hunger, decreasing child and maternal mortality rates, and ensuring that more children are enrolled in schools.
However, Ms. Gao said the country's high rate of malnutrition or under nutrition among some 44 percent of Lao children remained an area requiring continued improvement, particularly in affected rural and remote areas.
"Nutrition is the one indicator where Lao is really lagging behind other countries and this is a huge challenge to national development. If not addressed properly, this would result in huge loss in human capital," she said.
Improved sanitation and food preparation practices and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of the child's life are among the remedies, she said.
"What does it take to ensure that a child has good nutritional status?"
It takes, of course, good and sufficient food, and good and efficient feeding practices by parents," Ms. Gao said.
According to Ms. Gao, a well coordinated effort to boost children's safety and their active participation in socio-economic development could particularly benefit countries with young populations such as Laos. More
The death has drawn the attention of policymakers from the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as they gather in the nation's capital Vientiane for a five-day Ministerial Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication.
A personal tragedy for the boy's family and a deep concern for local and national Lao health authorities, the death also marks a setback in the global fight against the disease and the attainment of a "polio-free world."
The incident has also drawn attention to the plight of children in the developing country of some seven million, whose population is mostly young people and is set to surpass 10 million by the end of the decade.
One particularly passionate advocate of children in Laos and beyond is United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative for Laos, China's Ms Hongwei Gao.
Speaking to Xinhua's Vientiane Bureau, Ms. Gao said the death was a reminder that every child must be immunized to prevent polio and other potentially fatal or debilitating illnesses.
"The polio virus can cause lifelong paralysis. There is no cure but it can be prevented by vaccine. We are now close to a polio-free world, but there is only one way to reach it: take action and immunize all children," she said.
Meanwhile, the launch of a national polio vaccination campaign by the country's Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong Thursday was a demonstration of high level commitment to the cause.
"In the past two or three years the government of Laos has sharply increased this budget allocation to support national immunization program to buy good quality vaccines...this is evidence of action to concretely support child development," Ms. Gao said.
She said Laos had made great strides to achieve the Millennium Development Goals set for 2015, particularly in reducing extreme poverty and hunger, decreasing child and maternal mortality rates, and ensuring that more children are enrolled in schools.
However, Ms. Gao said the country's high rate of malnutrition or under nutrition among some 44 percent of Lao children remained an area requiring continued improvement, particularly in affected rural and remote areas.
"Nutrition is the one indicator where Lao is really lagging behind other countries and this is a huge challenge to national development. If not addressed properly, this would result in huge loss in human capital," she said.
Improved sanitation and food preparation practices and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of the child's life are among the remedies, she said.
"What does it take to ensure that a child has good nutritional status?"
It takes, of course, good and sufficient food, and good and efficient feeding practices by parents," Ms. Gao said.
According to Ms. Gao, a well coordinated effort to boost children's safety and their active participation in socio-economic development could particularly benefit countries with young populations such as Laos. More
No comments:
Post a Comment