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AHO calls to action as children under age 5 die every minute in Africa
In 2013, an estimated 6.3 million children under five died, 2.9 million of them in Africa. This is equivalent to five children under 5 years of age dying every minute. Two thirds of these deaths can be attributed to preventable causes. A third of all these deaths are in the neonatal period.
Read MoreChildren are the innocent victims of TB in vulnerable communities, says AHO
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world’s deadliest, yet preventable, communicable diseases and remains a significant problem in Africa. Every year, there is an estimated 9 million new TB cases worldwide but consistently 3 million cases are either not diagnosed, not treated, or are diagnosed and not registered by national TB control programmes.
Read MoreAHO to scale up immunisation as 1 in 5 children in Africa do not have access to life-saving vaccines
It is estimated that about three million children under five years of age die each year in Africa and a significant number of these deaths could be prevented by vaccines. Yet one in five children does not receive them. Lack of service delivery in remote areas or lack of information about the effectiveness of vaccines is a major reason many do not receive them.
Read MoreAHO alarmed by rates of cervical cancer amongst African women
Cervical cancer is caused by the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract. It affects younger age groups as a result of early sexual activity, multiple sexual partners, and exposure to other sexually transmitted infections such as HIV.
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