Saturday Feb 28 - MDG #4 - Reduce Child Mortality

For Saturdays during Lent I have asked you to meditate on the mortality of infants in the world today;

Fact: A child born in a developing country is 13 times more likely to die within the first five years of life than a child born in an industrialized country. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about half the deaths of children under five in the developing world.

Isn't that astonishing? Every one a child of God who due to malnutrition and rampant disease (many diseases we have preventative medicine in the west) is not given the chance to live a full life.

Target 1:
Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate

Where are we?

World wide, deaths of children under 5 years of age declined from 93 to 72 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2006. That certainly is progress, but we are still left with a staggering number of deaths among those under 5 years old - most of which preventative medicine and medical care that we have in the west could take care of.

However our goal is reduce the 91 by 2/3 (61) or 31 deaths per 1000 by 2015. We have 6 years left and much to accomplish.

I ask you to remember the plight of the newly born in your prayers and to consider making a donation to any respectable child heath oriented group that is working towards improving the health of children under 5.

I also ask you pray the following prayer daily:

Most loving God,
as your desire for mercy for the poor is unrelenting,
may we be unrelenting in our pursuit of mercy for all;
as your compassion for the suffering of the poor knows no limit,
may our hearts overflow with compassion for all;
as you long for justice for the poor,
may we strive for justice for all.
Open our eyes to the structures of oppression from which we benefit,
and give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
and perseverance to continue our work until it is finished.
Breathe your life-giving Spirit afresh into your Church
to free us from apathy and indifference;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thank you, Deacon Gary