The EVERY ONE campaign – backed by celebrities like Annie Lennox, Julie Walters, Emma Thompson and Emma Bunton – is being launched at a critical time for children. According to the World Bank, the economic crisis alone could mean up to 400,000 extra child deaths every year between now and 2015.
At present, nearly nine million young children die every year – often from simple causes like pneumonia, diarrhoea, or lack of a trained midwife. Every one of those children has a right to survive.
“Can you imagine a child in this country being allowed to die of diarrhoea? Can you imagine child in this country being allowed to die because its parents couldn’t afford £15…Please help us change the status quo,” says actress and Save the Children supporter Emma Thompson.
When asked what they would sacrifice to save a child’s life, the majority polled said they would give up at least a meal. More than one in five Britons said they would give up a day’s pay, compared to nearly a third of Nigerians, whilst Italians were willing to sacrifice a holiday (28%) or a new car (15%).
Encouragingly, the majority (56%) felt that it was equally important to prevent a child’s death wherever that child was in the world.
Save the Children’s EVERY ONE campaign launching in over 40 countries today, aims to realise that vision, by getting the world back on track to meet globally agreed targets on cutting child deaths by two-thirds a year by 2015. Measures like free health care, targeted nutrition programmes and cash transfers for the poorest will be critical to achieving that goal.
Find out how you can support the campaign right here