Rotary International Health and Hunger

Health and Hunger

Health and hunger issues affect the entire world, particularly children. The statistics are staggering:

• About 2.3 million children under age 15 are living with HIV.
• Malaria kills more than a million people each year, most of whom are children.
• Over half a million women die of pregnancy-related complications annually.
• About 852 million people are currently malnourished.
• More than 25,000 people, including many children, die of hunger each day.
• An estimated 10.1 million children die before their fifth birthday.

Under these circumstances, families are robbed of loved ones, and communities lose valuable resources, weakening their economies and impeding development. Yet many of these health and hunger problems could be prevented through quality health care, affordable medicine, safe drinking water, and proper sanitation facilities.

The Health and Hunger Resource Group supports Rotary club and district efforts to improve health in their communities, especially among children and mothers. It encourages projects that improve nutrition, reduce vulnerability to preventable and treatable diseases, and increase access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

Source: http://www.rotary.org/en/AboutUs/RotaryLeadership/RIPresident/Pages/HealthandHunger.aspx