Infant mortality, sanitation and hygiene, lack of access to healthcare

1 Josette Sheeran of the World Food Program

Those most likely to suffer from not having the right food or not enough food are the children, and in particularly infants and babies. Rice or chappati (flat Indian bread) might fill a child's stomach for the moment but never give the child the kind of nutrition they really need to grow into a healthy adult. Many teenagers still show signs of malnutrition from their early childhood. Inadequate nutrition not only influences the growth of a child's body but also the development of their brain.

Very often good health and good nutrition go hand in hand. Where food is lacking children will get sick much more easily, and parents have neither the finances nor the necessary education to care for their children properly. Many children every year die or become handicapped because the basic care is not available or is far too expensive.

Some facts: ¹

• Every single day about 27,000 children under the age of five die because of malnutrition or preventable diseases.

• 37% of children are moderately or severely underweight in the least developed countries.

• Every third malnourished child in the world lives in India.

• Every second Indian child is underweight.²

• Only 59% of all people in developing countries have access to improved drinking water sources.

• Many children, especially in the least developed countries, have no access to immunization programs against sicknesses such as Polio, Measles or TB and consequently they get sick and some die of clearly preventable diseases.

• Every year thousands of children die from diarrhea, which is easily curable and often preventable simply by having access to clean water.

• Pneumonia accounts for one fifth of all childhood deaths worldwide.

Much is needed to bring change to children affected by malnutrition and disease. What is needed is people, finances and training. It is not that there are not enough resources: the questions is how are they distributed and how much are the developed nations willing to help and invest?

What does that have to do with me?

In the Bible we clearly see how much God is concerned about the poor and needy. He gives very clear instructions to the Israelites about how he wants them to treat the poor and what kind of provision they need to make, like leaving some fruits on the trees or wheat in the fields so that the poor can gather it.³

There are two specific passages that make helping those who are hungry and sick not simply a good idea but an obligation for us. One is in the Old Testament and the other one in the New Testament:

Isaiah 58:10

      If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

Matthew 25:37 - 40

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'

And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

What will the king say to us?

1  Many of the following facts are from: The State of the World's Children 2008, Executive Summary

2  SUMMARY OF "STUDY ON CHILD ABUSE: INDIA 2007", by India Committee of the Netherlands

3  Deut.24,19, Ruth 2, 2+3 

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