Swine flu could be the next preventable killer
24,000 children die everyday from preventable causes because they lack simple things like vaccinations
Nadine Rosenbaum-Lehrer, UNICEF USA
NEW YORK (November 2, 2009) — In the United States, President Obama has declared the H1N1 outbreak (also known as swine flu) a national emergency, permitting health centers to establish treatment units and procedures to care for a potential outpouring of patients. The production of the H1N1 vaccine in the United States has been slower than expected, and thousands of Americans are standing in lines for hours, hoping that supplies do not run out.
In other parts of the world, children deal with this kind of emergency every day.
Global immunization rates are now at their highest ever in the developing world, but it is still a challenge to incorporate the new vaccines into national immunization programs in the places that need it most. If H1N1 becomes a global pandemic, children in the developing world—who are the most vulnerable—have no immunity because this vaccine wasn’t accessible to them.
"The influenza pandemic draws attention to the promise and dynamism of vaccine development today," said Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General, WHO. "Yet it reminds us once again of the obstacles to bringing the benefits of science to people in the poorest nations. We must overcome the divide that separates rich from poor—between those who get lifesaving vaccines, and those who don't."
UNICEF's role is to support communication with communities to promote certain behaviors that can limit the spread and consequences of H1N1. WHO and UNICEF have jointly identified key behavioral interventions for reducing the transmission and impact of the H1N1 virus:
- keeping a distance of more than three feet from someone who is sneezing and coughing;
- staying at home if ill;
- covering coughs and sneezes;
- and washing hands with soap and water.
Behaviors recommended to reduce mortality include:
- keeping a sick person away from others;
- assigning a single care giver to a sick person;
- giving plenty of fluids to the sick person;
- and recognizing danger signs and seeking care promptly.
