18% Of Deaths Among Under 5s Caused By Pneumonia Globally – According to new research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an international team of experts, “of the 7.6 million deaths worldwide among children under 5 years of age in 2010, 18% were caused by pneumonia, while 14% were the result of a complication of a preterm birth.” Senior author Robert Black, MD, MPH explained that “even though total deaths among under 5s worldwide dropped from 2000 to 2010, in order to reach the Millennium Development Goal, the decline will need to be steeper.” (Medical News Today, Christian Nordqvist)
Canada pledges $114M for Africa – The Canadian International Development Agency has pledged $114.2 million Canadian dollars in humanitarian aid to Africa. The funds will “be used to address food insecurity and malnutrition, and improve people’s livelihood and access to safe drinking water” and to meet the needs of refugees in the area. (Devex, Jenny Lei Ravelo)
UN: Bed Nets Sharply Reduce Malaria Deaths – A new United Nations report shows that “malaria has dropped from being the leading cause of death among refugees living along the Sudan border,” due to the Nothing But Nets campaign run by The United Nations Foundation. U.N. officials expressed concern about a “possible wave of new refugees fleeing violence between Sudan and South Sudan.” (VOA, Mohammed Yusuf)
New report puts spotlight on Africa’s social, economic gaps – The Africa Progress Panel’s more recent report focus on inequality and calls for urgent action to bridge the widening economic gap as well as “gaps in youth education and employment, access to agricultural lands and tools.” (Devex, Ivy Mungcal)
