Campaign launched to end diarrhoea-related child deaths

WITH their local branch in Berea, Save the Children South Africa recently launched a campaign in partnership with the pharmaceutical company Sanofi. The campaign, launched on Thursday, October 13, aims to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea and diarrhoea-related deaths among children under the age of five.

Founded in the United Kingdom in the 1900s, the Save the Children Fund worked to make the world a better place for children. The organisation began work in South Africa in the 1940s, and the local entity, Save the Children South Africa, was founded in 2013. The Berea branch is based on Hopelands Avenue.

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While the campaign runs across South Africa, it was launched in KwaZulu-Natal, in the Inanda district, as the province continues to suffer high rates of waterborne diseases after damage to its water and sanitation infrastructure from the severe flooding earlier this year.

Micah Naidoo, Sanofi head of Consumer Healthcare Africa, said the campaign aims to make a tangible impact on communities.

“Sanofi is committed to ensuring that no child dies of preventable disease, especially when there are effective treatments available. Diarrhoea is preventable and can be treated. Through this campaign, we hope to equip caregivers, parents, and teachers to help reduce the risk of diarrhoea and keep their children safe and healthy,” said Naidoo.

Naidoo added that the partnership with Save the Children was a natural fit for Sanofi as the NPO has extensive expertise, experience and capacity in civil society development, quality capacity-building approaches, and the implementation and management of education, health, and child protection programmes.

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Steve Miller, CEO of Save the Children South Africa, said the organisation can only continue its work through the support of partners like Sanofi.

“Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. We work to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. Together, we are able to step in to support these communities at a critical time to achieve these goals for the children living in the area,” he said.

After initially focusing on Kwazulu-Natal, the campaign will be rolled out to other provinces and areas of need.