REPORT: UNICEF FAILED IN W AFRICA
Jan 14th, 2010 by admin
A 27 million US dollar programme by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in West Africa failed to combat child deaths, according to researchers. A Johns Hopkins University study published on Tuesday in the medical journal The Lancet found that children in regions not covered by UNICEF stood a better chance of surviving past age five than those covered by the UNICEF programme. The researcher Jennifer Bryce said UNICEF had not focused on the diseases most likely to kill children. She also said the UN agency focused on districts where child death rates were high which could explain their failure. UNICEF gave vaccinations and distributed Vitamin A pills and bed nets from 2001 to 2005 in 11 countries. UNICEF defended the programme, saying it had helped to raise overall government health standards.
