Shot@Life - Give children a chance at survival

Give children a chance at survival

June 13, 2012 BY Devi R. Thomas

This is me on my 5th birthday about to devour what looks like a very yummy birthday cake. Since this picture was taken, I have gone to school, made life-long friendships, graduated from college and grad school, traveled the world, fallen in love, became a mother, and now, recently became the Director of the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life Campaign. The link between my own survival and that of my son and the millions of children who go on to experience these milestones is not hard to make. Ultimately, children everywhere deserve a shot at growing up. Child survival has a better shot everywhere because of the work of the UN, UNICEF, WHO and GAVI to make the world a safer and healthier place for children.

It shocks me to think that every year 7 million children die before reaching their fifth birthday. 7 million children never get to eat their 5th birthday cake, but more importantly, they never get to grow up to be happy, healthy and productive adults.

This week, June 14-15, the Child Survival Call to Action Summit, held in Washington, D.C., will build momentum on the work being done around the world to end preventable childhood deaths and advance the commitments made to Every Woman Every Child. The Call to Action will convene 700 prominent leaders from government, the private sector, faith-based organizations and civil society to kick off a long-term, focused effort to save children’s lives.

What can you do to get involved? Take action to save lives!

•    Visit http://www.apromiserenewed.org
•    Follow the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #promise4children
•    Read posts from partners on the Huffington Post’s Global Motherhood site
•    And, check out the live webcast of The Child Survival Call to Action on June 14, 2012

Wait, there’s one more thing! Watch this video message from former First Lady and President and Co-Founder of Every Child By Two, Rosalynn Carter. She encourages people to reach out to lawmakers to support continued vaccine access efforts for the developing countries and refers to the important immunization campaign that her husband helped lead in the late 1970’s which resulted in significant declines in vaccine preventable disease in this country.

Let’s make 5th birthdays a priority.