UNICEF Representative in Somalia Christian Balslev-Olesen notes that UNICEF not only works with NGOs to improve hygiene and provide basic health care and immunization, but also works in tandem with UN partners to ensure livelihood and poverty issues are addressed.
Speaking to the annual gathering of the Inter-Parliamentary Union here, Bellamy emphasized that while immunization and basic health and nutrition are crucial for children in their early years, protecting them from exploitation and abuse as they grow older is essential to ensuring that they develop to their fullest potential and have a chance to break the grip of poverty.
In the 1960s and 70s we helped invest in basic health care and immunization.
The UNICEF portion, $30 million, is committed to basic health care and immunization, therapeutic feeding for malnourished children, repair of rural water schemes, sanitation and hygiene efforts, and stop-gap education for displaced youngsters.
"This includes enabling them to deliver basic health and sanitation services since even the most critical of these, such as the immunization of young children, are not reaching many affected communities".
In tandem with the UNICEF-supported campaign, a community-based strategy for long-term health is being implemented to increase women's and children's access to basic health services, routine immunization and trained midwives.
The WHR defines basic health as 80% immunization coverage and 80% skilled birth attendance at delivery.
Factors contributing to this decline include the increasing access to basic health services, higher immunization coverage and a regular bi-annual vitamin A supplementation campaign.
They set up small centers that offer basic health services like immunization, feeding, family planning and help navigating the city's convoluted health and social service systems.
