Children 2002 charting change.

• Position: Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Children 2002 Charting Change. 150 million children in developing countries are malnourished More than half of underweight children live in South Asia South Asia 78 Sub-Saharan Africa 32 East Asia/Pacific 27 Middle East/North Africa 7 Latin America/Caribbean 4 CEE/CIS 2 Note: Table made from pie chart Malnutrition is implicated in more than half of all child deaths worldwide. Three quarters of the children who die from causes related to malnutrition were only mildly or moderately undernourished, showing no outward sign of their vulnerability. Poverty, low levels of education and poor access to health services are major contributors to childhood malnutrition, a complex issue that requires tackling on a wide number of fronts, such as:

* Ensuring food security for poor households;

* Educating families in the special nutritional needs of young children;

* Protecting children from infections, through immunization against childhood diseases and provision of safe water and sanitation.

1.1 billion people are without access to safe drinking water Middle East/North Africa 4% CEE/CIS 4% Latin America/Caribbean 6% South Asia 19% Sub-Saharan Africa 25% East Asia/Pacific 42% Access to water is a crucial element in the reduction of under-five mortality and morbidity, particularly in poor urban areas.

* Diarrhoea. About 4 billion cases per year cause 2.2 million deaths, mostly among children under five;

* Trachoma. About 6 million people are blind from trachoma. Provision of adequate water supply could reduce the infection rate by 25 per cent;

* Schistosomiasis. About 200 million people are infected. Adequate water supply and sanitation could reduce infection rate by 77 per cent;

* Cholera. This worldwide problem can be prevented by access to safe drinking water, sanitation and good hygiene.

Polio cases dropped by 99 per cent from 1988 to 2000 Estimated number of polio cases (in thousands) 1988...