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ChildFund Australia has today launched an appeal for a vital new early childhood program that will give children in Zambia the best start in life.

In Zambia’s remote communities, there are no accessible health services for babies. Mothers can’t get check-ups or immunisations for their newborns or information on how best to look after their baby. There is little knowledge about age-appropriate nutrition and early childhood development.

As a result, 100,000 Zambian children under five die each year. Most of these deaths are preventable. For those who survive, in some districts almost three-quarters of children are considered developmentally vulnerable.

ChildFund hopes to make a change for the better for children in Zambia with our Start Strong & Stay Strong program. This will provide infants and young children in rural Zambia with a healthier start in their critical first five years, and tackle four crucial areas: education, health, protection and nutrition.

Funds raised will support the construction of 10 child health, care and development centres (called ‘insakas’, meaning ‘place to gather’ in the local language) in two remote communities.

Mothers will be able to bring their babies to the insakas from birth, to receive vital health check-ups, monitoring and immunisations to prevent life-threatening diseases.

Trained local staff will be in attendance to educate mothers on healthy nutrition, child-rearing practices, treatment of common childhood illnesses, child protection and how to monitor important milestones. To help maintain good nutrition over the long-term, demonstration gardens will show parents how to improve the quality of crops.

ChildFund Australia CEO Nigel Spence says: “In Australia, we know how important those 0-5 years are and we’re lucky to have such quality services available to this age group to ensure our children develop to their full potential. However, in places like Zambia, children often don’t have these opportunities – without the right nutrition, healthcare and education at this age, it can set them back for life.

“Our Start Strong & Stay Strong program will have an immediate effect on vulnerable babies that face such a difficult start to life. Your support will not only help these children to survive but give them the best chance of a healthy, productive future.”

To support our Start Strong & Stay Strong program in Zambia, please make a secure online donation here or call our Supporter Relations team on 1800 023 600.

An outbreak of the Ebola virus, which has claimed the lives of at least 16 people in Uganda since late July, now appears to be under control, according to the World Health Organisation.

The epicentre of the outbreak is in Kibaale district, with more than 230 suspected cases being identified and monitored by the Ministry of Health. Although the bulk of these cases are in Kibaale and surrounding districts, a few are reported in three districts where ChildFund has operations: Kiboga, Amuria and Kampala. To date, there are no Ebola cases involving children and families in ChildFund’s program areas.

ChildFund Uganda, which has been monitoring the situation since the onset, mounted a response plan in Kiboga, which is closest to the epicentre. All other ChildFund programs are on alert, with preparedness plans in place, should the situation change.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a deadly disease caused by the Ebola virus first identified in Africa in the mid-1970s. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the incubation period for Ebola ranges from 2 to 21 days. The onset of illness is abrupt and is characterised by fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat and weakness, followed by diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain. A rash, red eyes, hiccups and internal and external bleeding may be seen in some patients. Up to 90 per cent of people who are infected with Ebola die from it, according to the National Institutes of Health.

ChildFund is collaborating with Uganda’s Ministry of Health in all of its preparedness and response activities that include:

  1. Launching a sensitisation campaign via radio talk shows and spot messages to help educate children and families in the affected districts on safe health practices.
  2. Working with the district health teams to develop a preparedness and response plan.
  3. Attending and participating in all district-level task force meetings.
  4. Contributing to the procurement of some protective gear and disinfection agents (eg gloves, disinfectants and face masks for village health teams).

Since the first cases were reported, Uganda’s Ministry of Health has helped the Kiboga district set up a surveillance and response team to quickly identify and isolate cases of the disease. The Ministry of Health is also providing continuous medical education sessions on Ebola for the Kiboga hospital staff.

Although the outbreak appears to be now traced to its source and contained, ChildFund Uganda remains on alert.

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