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Poverty: It's a killer of millions of children

About 3 million children are likely to die from malaria in Africa this year despite the fact that simple mosquito nets draped over their beds could offer effective protection against the deadly disease.

A mosquito net costs only US$5, but a family which has practically no income cannot afford even this amount of money, according to internationally renowned US economist Jeffrey Sachs.

On the occasion of the annual World Health Day on April 7, experts like him highlight a simple equation: Those who are poor are also more likely to be ill.

About 10.6 million infants and small children die every year from illnesses such as pneumonia and diarrhoea that could be either prevented or easily treated. Vaccinations can prevent diseases, a simple saline drip can reinvigorate a small patient dehydrated by diarrhoea.

The decisive factor in infant mortality remains poverty, a study in the British medical journal Lancet found in late March, citing research by the US Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO).

The UN has coined the term "absolute poverty" for people in developing and emerging countries who live on less than the equivalent of US$1 in local purchasing power per day.

"Despite the advancement of medicine millions of children die as a result of poverty and underdevelopment. If the children had healthcare and access to clean water and sufficient food, their lives could be saved," said the head of UNICEF in Germany, Reinhard Schlagintweit.

Children in developing countries are not alone in suffering medically as a result of poverty, according to the German federal health promotion center (BZgA).

"The connection between social disadvantage and negative effects on the health of children and teenagers is undisputed also in Germany," according to BZgA chief Elisabeth Pott.

One in 10 children in Germany is affected by poverty, according to the center. A number of studies also showed that poorer children suffer more than average from psychological and physical development disorders, as well as from headaches and abdominal pains.

"Children from the lower social levels also brush their teeth less often," and mostly don't attend preventative dental check-ups, said Pott, indicating another field of health problems.

In a bid to improve children's health, the center has launched projects in social problem areas. Schools and kindergartens are participating in play and musical activities that invite the children to join in and be active while educating them about healthcare and nutrition.

Most recently, the center teamed up with German top league basketball player Telekom Baskets Bonn for a youth camp entitled "Exercise, Nutrition, Relaxation," in which teenagers from poorer families took part after being sponsored by businesses.

However, it is just the children who are at risk. This month's World Health Day, entitled "Make every mother and child count," indicates that adults from poorer communities also suffer.
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