ICROSS safe motherhood and child survival programmes 2011

ICROSS safe motherhood and child survival projects 2011

For 30 years ICROSS has promoted community based primary health care.
Key elements to effective public health are safe motherhood and child survival.

Safe motherhood
means ensuring that all mothers get the care they need to be safe and healthy throughout pregnancy and childbirth and in the following years.
Newborn Health and Survival
Each year, approximately 4 million newborn infants die during the first month of life, and an additional 4 million are stillborn- most of these deaths are due to infection, asphyxia and birth injuries, and complications of premature birth. Low birth weight contributes to newborn death in about 40-80% of cases. Nearly all of these newborn deaths occur in developing countries. ICROSS works in areas with high maternal death rates and high maternal mortality. Psrt of our safe motherhood includes ;
* All women have access to contraception to avoid unintended pregnancies
* All pregnant women have access to skilled care at the time of birth
* All those with complications have timely access to quality emergency obstetric care


Child Survival
Child survival is a program that reduced child deaths. ICROSS Child survival interventions fight diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, and neonatal illnesses. Of the portion of children under the age of 5 alone, an estimated 9.2 million children die each year mostly from these causes.
ICROSS child survival includes
immunizing mothers against tetanus,
ensuring clean delivery practices in a hygienic birthing space
proper nutrition of babies
care of new-borns
continued breastfeeding,
immunization, and treatment of infections with antibiotics –

These interventions could save the lives of 3 million newborns annually in developing countries.
Improved sanitation and access to clean drinking water can reduce childhood infections and diarrhea.
Over 40 percent of the world's population does not have access to basic sanitation, and more than one billion people use unsafe sources of drinking water. This is why ICROSS has focused on these projects since 1980.

Michael Elmore-Meegan MSc Community Health TCD
D Med HC NUI FRAMI
Founder International Director
www.icrossinternational.org
www.icrosskenya.org
www.michaelmeegan.com
http://www.michaelmeegan.net/
http://icrossprojects.blogspot.com/
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