Shabait.com (Asmara)
29 November 2008
editorial
Asmara — In the context of the Millennium Goals, the progress Eritrea has achieved in the provision of maternal and infant health care in general and in reducing the mortality rate in children under the age of 5 in particular is an exemplary accomplishment among sub Saharan countries, according to a report released by UNICEF on 26 November 2008.
As is well-known among the 8 Millennium Goals set to be achieved by countries of the world by 2015, the fourth Goals is to "reduce mortality of children under the age of 5" and followed by "improving the health of mothers" and "reducing incidence of infection by HIV, malaria and other communicable diseases".
Six years before the UN drafted the Millennium Goals, the Eritrean National Charter, ratified in the Third PFDJ Congress in 1994, stated that the provision of easily accessible health care services is the right of every citizen while securing evenly distributed of health care system, increasing the people's awareness on health care and the prevention of diseases were given a high priority in the nation-building process.
Based on this fundamental outlook, the Eritrean government has been making extensive efforts to provide health services in different parts of the country, particularly in remote areas where there was no provision of health care before. Moreover, Eritrea has exerted exemplary efforts in reducing the prevalence of communicable diseases, providing health care and vaccination for mothers and infants, training health technicians and enhancing the people's awareness in healthcare.
As a result of the nation-wide endeavors to prevent or avoid the diseases that have been the leading caused for the death of children under the age of 5, today 99% of Eritrean children receive vaccination against communicable diseases such as Polio, measles and tetanus have completely been put under control. According to UNICEF reports, mortality rate in children under the age of five has been reduced by more than 50%. In most developing nations this figure rarely rises more than 12%. Thanks to the committed efforts in this sector, 99% of Eritrean mothers receive healthcare services. Considering the fact that this figure is 97% in the developed world and 53% in the developing nations, Eritrea's achievement in this case is indeed exemplary. Malaria is one of the leading causes of death in tropical countries, but its prevalence in Eritrea has been reduced by 80%. Moreover, mortality rates due to tuberculosis have been greatly reduced and compared with other developing nations; Eritrea has one of the lowest rates of HIV infection.
A government committed to the welfare of the people and country is a cornerstone for social and economic progress. Thus, drafting and implementing effective development and social programs is one of the basic indications of a committed and efficient administration system. As world experience has proven time and again, no people have been able to secure a safe and rewarding life in the absence of a government committed to the people's welfare. The credit for the progress Eritrea is making in achieving the Millennium Goals in the health sectors or other domains largely goes to the dedicated efforts of the government that gives priority to the people's welfare. Nonetheless, the progress achieved so far, which has been much lauded by different quarters should not prompt us to lax in our efforts but should encourage us to strive for yet other exemplary feats.
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