Child Mortality Blog
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Introduction of Child Mortality Blog
Children are an essential part of this world we live in. They are the future and they need to be treated in such a way that helps them to understand their potential and value. In this blog I focus on the main aspects of child mortality and what needs to be done in order to reduce it. The world has the abilities and tools to reduce child mortality significantly. However, not enough is being done and those tools are not being utilized to their full potential. Immunizations are a vital tool in reducing child mortality. The benefits of immunizations need to be incorporated into both parents and children’s educations in order for them to realize their importance. Another tool to reduce child mortality is to improve environments. A healthy environment results in healthy children. An obvious and perhaps the most well known way to reduce child mortality is preventing starvation by reducing hunger. No child should have to know the true agony of an empty stomach. I learned a lot in the creation of this blog and all that it contains. I hope that as you read it you will have an open heart filled with compassion for the millions of children in the world who battle starvation, disease, and death every day. I hope that this blog will inspire you to see past the selfish society many of us are absorbed in, and to experience the reality of child mortality and its tragedies.
Local Essay:Miracles in Needles
Miracles in Needles
Natalie N. Calico
312581
034W
Leslie Jewkes
October 11th, 2011
Abstract
Vaccinations have proven to be controversial in the United States. The number of children being exempted from immunizations is rising, as is the number of adults and adolescence neglecting to update their immunizations. This negligence leaves the United States unprotected from harmful preventable diseases. Some parents fear vaccinations are responsible for children developing autism. Parents need to understand the importance of being educated about immunizations from trustworthy sources such as doctors and nurses. Also a trustworthy source for parents to depend on for accurate information is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines are important for everyone including adults. Infants’ health relies on adults and adolescence staying up to date on their vaccinations. The benefits of vaccinations should be described to parents so they can make an educated decision on whether or not to immunize their child.
Miracles in Needles
Miracles in Needles
Children are meant to spend hot summer days splashing in the town pool, and giggling with friends while sucking on sticky melting popsicles. Children are meant to play hide and seek in the evening as they run to tag one another as fast as their little legs can carry their young, pounding hearts. There should be nothing more on their sweet innocent minds to worry about apart from playing and exploring. Children and communities deserve to be protected and healthy. Parents should be comforted knowing that there is protection for their children against harmful diseases. Vaccinations provide relief and keep societies protected and safe in a dangerous world that’s constantly spinning in circles. The benefits of vaccinations should be described to parents so they can make an educated decision on whether or not to immunize their child.
Parents need to understand that vaccinations are responsible for preventing large numbers of death in America. In the 1900’s polio swept over the United States, targeting children and leaving hysterical, heartbroken parents in its fatal path. A polio timeline shows, “In 1952, a record 57,628 cases of polio were reported in the United States” (“NMAH”). Polio was a nationwide epidemic that left many children dead, and many more paralyzed. Luckily, the year after the epidemic reached its peak, a vaccine was discovered for the tragic virus. After the vaccine was proven to be a success, polio in the United States fell by 85-90% ("NMAH”). Although the polio trauma seems distant, there are still people alive today who lived through and witnessed the terror of the disease. Polio is but one example of how vaccinations have reduced life-threatening viruses in the United States. Despite the incredible life saving results vaccinations have shown in America, some parents find that their children are better off without receiving vaccinations. Most individuals receive vaccinations when they are infants, children, and in their adolescence. Vaccinations have been around for many years and continue to prevent millions of different illnesses. A New York Times article stated, “Public health experts generally agree that after clean water and flush toilets, the most important health advances in history have been vaccinations” (“A Multitude”). Vaccinations isolate the United States from unwanted infections that linger in other parts of the world. Vaccinations are a security blanket for parents who want the best health possible for their children. The New York Times article also stated, “Since the 1990’s, vaccines have become somewhat controversial, even in the United States. As diseases have disappeared, generations have grown up without ever seeing the sickness and death they caused” ("A Multitude”). Perhaps parents who are adamant against vaccinations for their children are being naive to diseases they just don’t understand the brutality of. Many parents these days are worried about the mild fevers their babies might experience after immunizations ("A Multitude”). If parents looked back to the victims of polio, whooping cough, small pox, hepatitis, rubella and all of the diseases that have been prevented by immunizations, perhaps parents would have different attitudes towards immunizations.
The enormous decrease in mortality is an obvious benefit of vaccinations that parents need to comprehend. Below represents a graph of the Crude Infectious Disease Mortality Rate in the United States from 1900-1996. The huge spike in mortality during 1918 was due to the influenza pandemic. During that pandemic 20-25 million people died (Armstrong). Influenza is an illness that the United States now has a vaccine for. Since the outrageous pandemic, the influenza vaccine has saved millions of people from dying of a preventable virus. Parents need to be educated on mortality and the positive affects immunizations have had on the United States mortality rates.
Unnecessary worries regarding negative immunization results such as autism prove the importance of parent’s education on vaccine benefits. A massive amount of parents’ angst towards immunizations develops from the media and the internet. A research study was performed in Utah exploring the reasoning behind parents’ hesitation towards immunizations. The research stated, “The development of autism remained a major concern among parents, despite past educational efforts to relieve this concern. Parental fear regarding a causal link between immunizations and autism has confused and frightened many parents who were unsure” (Luthy). As the research brought up, many parents have fear that immunizations are related to children developing autism. Sarah Glazer stated in her article regarding autism, “Parental concerns focus on two types of vaccines: the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) shot and those that contain thimerosal a preservative made with ethyl-mercury that has been used in some childhood vaccines since the 1930s” (Glazer). Most children receive their MMR vaccine at fifteen months. When parents don’t immunize their child they are putting them at the risk of developing mumps rubella and measles, diseases that could be fatal for a young individual. Glazer went on to explain, “A third of the parents of autistic children say their children developed normally in their first months or year and then began losing social skills or language. Many of the parents blame vaccines, since they first observed the regression after the children received routine vaccinations” (Glazer). While parents have every right to their beliefs, research has shown that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism (Glazer). Registered Nurse, Kristin Vessel, discussed research that has been done showing a genetic connection to autism. Vessel related to this research personally by saying, “Many of the students I have encountered with autism have a younger sibling who is autistic as well, and what is always interesting is that usually the oldest has been immunized and the younger one has not” (Vessel). The genetic connection to autism is an important idea for parents refusing immunizations to research. Every individual is genetically different and parents need to understand the power genes have over a disorder like autism.
Inaccurate information causes parents to ignore the multitude of immunization benefits. Immunization program manager for the Central District Health Department in Boise said, “We still have a large number of kids out there who are not being immunized. Some of those kids have parents who believe shots can harm their kids. There's a lot of people doing research on the Internet, and the information they get is not necessarily accurate” (LaMay). Accurate research is something that all parents should take into account when making health related decisions for their children. The research done on Utah parents concluded that “Exposure to inaccurate immunization information can undermine parents’ confidence in immunization safety and negatively affect their decision to immunize their children” (Lathy). As concluded in the research study, it takes a large amount of confidence for parents to not be cautious in making health related decisions for their children. Parents need to make sure their research is precise and their justifications for not immunizing their children are valid. Inaccurate data plays a definite role in parents being hesitant towards immunizing their children.
Doctors and nurses are reliable sources for informing parents about immunization benefits. Parents should be responsible for finding doctors and nurses they can trust. Physicians and nurses have the ability to give valuable trustworthy immunization information. The research done on parents in Utah determined “To assist parents in understanding the safety of and need for immunizations, Public Health Nurses should seek first to understand the parents’ perspectives regarding immunizations and then prepare to respond to these parental concerns and questions with evidence-based data” (Lathy). In order for a nurse or doctor to influence parents the maximum amount they need to first understand the parent in which they are dealing with. If a parent is in hysterics because they think their child is going to develop autism after receiving their immunizations for kindergarten, a doctor or nurse is going to need to be very sensitive to the parent’s panic. The data given by health professionals can highly sway parents’ opinions about immunizations and therefore it is important for health officials to leap on every opportunity they encounter to educate parents about the benefits of vaccinations. A research study was done by the Journal of Advanced Nursing on doctors’ and nurses’ attitudes when dealing with their patients which showed, “Over 80% of nurses thought using every encounter with a client to offer any needed immunizations was important, beneficial and good” (Jane). Immunizations are important to most nurses and their encouragement and support for parents is existence. What if a nurse ignored every opportunity to inform a patient of the benefits of immunizations? Then what if that patient said no to the vaccine, and died of a disease that was completely preventable later on. Nurses can provide the accurate reliable information an individual struggling with the decision of immunizations needs. By doing so, they can save lives.
Another trustworthy source of information able to properly educate parents on the benefits of immunizations is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A doctor of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advocated vaccinations by explaining about flu shots, “"You're not going to be able to count on that vaccine protecting you throughout a second season” ("Time”). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is in charge of making sure the United States is as disease free as possible. If they advocate flu shots they have done their research and know that the flu virus mutates each new flu season. Therefore, it is important to renew the flu vaccine each season as to keep individuals and others protected. Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University said regarding flu shots, “Say you never catch the flu? You could be a carrier, unknowingly spreading the misery when you feel little more than a sniffle” ("Time”). Vaccinations aren’t just about keeping individuals’ safe but entire societies. Schnaffner goes on to say, “"You should be vaccinated each and every year to ensure both you're protected and you're giving the maximum protection to people around you” (“Time”). It is health professionals who are updated and accurate on their data who parents should trust when forming their opinions of immunizations for their children.
Some parents claim that required vaccinations appear to be unconstitutional. Instead of being forced to immunize their children, parents need to be informed of the highly numbered positives of vaccinations so they can make educated decisions in their child’s health. Idaho rules allow exemptions to immunizations if the reason is medical, or religious and personal (“More”). An article in the Idaho Statesmen stated, “School exemptions in south-central Idaho have increased more than 62 percent since 2005” (“More”). While this statistic is concerning to health officials, the parents exempting their children from vaccinations are most likely confident they made the right choice. Author of Idaho Statesman article Edward Lotterman, holds truth in his statement, “Few things are more intrusive than government telling people that they must have their children injected with various vaccines” ("Edward”). Perhaps it is a difficult thing for many parents to handle the idea of required vaccines for their children. Without these vaccines their children will not be protected against harmful diseases. If parents are properly informed of the seriousness of the diseases prevented by immunization their opinions on immunizations would be more optimistic. Exempting from immunizations not only puts an individual at risk, but the health of the public at risk. When children are immunized they eradicate possible diseases which have the ability to exterminate children. Exemptions from vaccinations are not something anyone should take lightly. A journal entry discussed the term “herd immunity”. It described herd immunity as the state at which every individual has their immunizations (B Trollfors). In other words, when everyone is immunized then a society will be able to prevail against any viruses that come their way. The journal stated, “The more contagious the disease, the more immune individuals are needed to induce herd immunity” (B Trollfors). If each individual is updated on their immunizations, it will take a very contagious disease to penetrate that immune barrier. The journal went on to explain:
Higher effectiveness than efficacy is usually ascribed to indirect protection at group level (herd immunity) and depends on the fact that a person who remains uninfected will not transmit disease to others. In other words, the more people who are immune, the less chance that others will be exposed to the infection and finally the disease stops circulating in the community even though susceptible individuals remain. (B Trollfors)
If every society could achieve herd immunity the chances of disease would diminish extremely. This is why it is vital for children to receive and stay updated on their vaccinations. If parents were aware of the power of herd immunity, they would be aware of the power they have to protect their children and their community by staying up to date on immunizations.
The benefits of immunizations need to be explained to parents so that innocent infants do not become death victims. Kristin Vessel is the school nurse at Grace Jordan Elementary in Boise Idaho. Kristin also worked at the pediatric unit at St. Luke’s hospital before becoming a school nurse. She said that often times in the pediatric unit the infants who were sick with whooping cough had caught the virus from an adult in their family. Vessel explained the importance of adults staying up to date on their pertussis vaccine. When adults get whooping cough it is similar to a normal cold, and they overcome it and get better. When adults are carriers of a disease they have the ability to pass it onto young infants. When infants get whooping cough they must be hospitalized because their lungs cannot handle all the mucus and they basically end up choking to death (Vessel). When adults don’t stay up to date on their immunizations, they put the lives of innocent infants at risk. Immunizations are not just for children. If adults were informed of the harm they have the ability to cause to infants by the seemingly harmless viruses they carry, they would know the importance of staying up to date on their vaccinations.
Immunizations have the power to save lives and rid entire nations of infectious diseases. Immunizations make it possible for children to not miss weeks of school because of the chicken pocks. Immunizations abolish the danger of whooping cough to infants, and polio in children’s growing legs. While a parent or individual should never be forced to participate in immunizations against their will, they should be informed of the benefits if they do decide to immunize. Being informed can eliminate the fear of unproven theories such as autism linked vaccines. Parents and adults facing the decisions of immunizations need to be fully informed of all the amazing benefits of immunizations. Individuals need to make sure they are fully informed with accurate information before making the decision to exempt from vaccinations. To inform parents of the benefits of immunizations there are ways for each person reading this essay to take action. First, if you are an adult, make sure you are updated on all your vaccinations. Most likely you are overdue for some updates. Next, if you know of any children who are not being immunized, educate their parents on the important benefits of vaccinations. Finally, if you really want to make a difference in the importance of immunizations, create an advocating pamphlet on vaccination benefits. This pamphlet must contain valid information from reliable sources. After you create the pamphlet contact local elementary schools, preschools, high schools, and colleges, and ask if you can have your pamphlet available to the students and parents who attend. Parents and adults need to be informed of the benefits of vaccinations so that communities will be protected from preventable diseases.
Works Cited
"A Multitude of Vaccine Benefits, Yet Controversy Persists - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 29 Mar. 2008. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.
Armstrong, Gregory L. "Trends in Infectious Disease Mortality in the United States During the 20th Century." The Journal of the American Medical Association (1999). Web.
B Trollfors, et al. "Vaccination of children – a systematic review." Acta Paediatrica 99. (2010): 1-192. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.
"Back-to-school Can Mean Vaccines For Tweens, Teens | Fox News." Fox News - Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos. Web. 16 Sept.
"Edward Lotterman: An Economic Argument for Mandatory Vaccinations | Edward Lotterman's Columns | Idaho Statesman." Boise, Idaho News, Weather, Traffic, Jobs, Classifieds | Idaho Statesman. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.
Glazer, Sarah. "Increase in Autism." 13.23. CQ Researcher. 13 June 2003. Web. 22 Sept. 2011.
Jane A. Buxton, et al. "Identifying attitudes, beliefs and reported practices of nurses and doctors as immunization providers." Journal of Advanced Nursing 66.7 (2010): 1602-1611. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.
LaMay, Colleen. "Shots Help Protect Idaho Kids | Story | Idaho Health 2006." Idaho Health. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.
Luthy, Karlen E., Renea L. Beckstrand, and Lynn Clark Callister. "Parental Hesitation in Immunizing Children in Utah." Public Health Nursing 27.1 (2010): 25-31. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.
"More Parents Get Exemptions from Idaho Vaccine Law | Idaho | Idaho Statesman." Boise, Idaho News, Weather, Traffic, Jobs, Classifieds | Idaho Statesman. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.
"NMAH | Polio: Timeline." National Museum of American History. Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Web. 23 Sept. 2011.
Vessel, Kristin. Personal Interview by Natalie Calico. 09/22/2011.
Annotated Bibliography
"A Multitude of Vaccine Benefits, Yet Controversy Persists - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 29 Mar. 2008. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. This magazine article covers somewhat general information on vaccinations. It discusses the controversy of immunizations and how important they have been to the United States. It also talks about how parents these days who weren’t around to see the life changing diseases effect on the world might not quite understand how important vaccinations are anymore. One quote I will most likely use in the first part of the body of my essay will be “Public health experts generally agree that after clean water and flush toilets, the most important health advances in history have been vaccinations.” I think that this will really support my paper because it illustrates the importance of vaccinations. Another quote I think I will use is “Since the 1990s, vaccines have become somewhat controversial, even in the United States. As diseases have disappeared, generations have grown up without ever seeing the sickness and death they caused.” This quote will be supportive because it introduces my opinion that since parents’ now days have not seen the reality of what vaccinations prevent. They are more reluctant and naive in not vaccinating their children.
Armstrong, Gregory L. "Trends in Infectious Disease Mortality in the United States During the 20th Century." The Journal of the American Medical Association (1999). Web. This article covers trends in diseases and their mortality rates throughout the united states during the twentieth century. There are great graphs and charts in this article that I could incorporate into my paper. The graph I plan to use will illustrate the sudden spike in mortality rates when influenza took over the United States. This will add support to my paper because the mortality rate went down significantly after a immunization was discovered for it.
B Trollfors, et al. "Vaccination of children – a systematic review." Acta Paediatrica 99. (2010): 1-192. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. This was one of the scholarly journals I found that applied to my topic. It focused on a lot of different research on vaccinations for children and how they work. The part of the journal that I really enjoyed was when it talked about “Herd immunity”. Some specific quotes I want to use in my paper are, “The more contagious the disease, the more immune individuals are needed to induce herd immunity”, and then it goes on to say, “In other words, the more people who are immune, the less chance that others will be exposed to the infection and finally the disease stops circulating in the community even though susceptible individuals remain.” This is especially important to my paper because it describes a term that my entire paper is advocating “Herd immunity”. If all children are immunized, then no one unimmunized child can threaten other children with their diseases and viruses.
"Back-to-school Can Mean Vaccines For Tweens, Teens | Fox News." Fox News - Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos. Web. 16 Sept. This news article was about updating vaccinations. It discussed how vaccinations are not just a onetime thing and in order to stay protected and prevent illness children must update their vaccinations even after adolescence and college. A quote I will most likely use in my paper is “Young children get vaccinated before kindergarten but that protection wears off, and pertussis outbreaks in middle or high school no longer are rare. While older kids usually recover, whooping cough can cause weeks of misery — and worse, they can easily spread the bacterial infection to not-yet-vaccinated infants, who can die.” This excerpt supports the fatalness of not being immunized. A parent or college student might think that they are doing no harm to themselves, which may be true. However it’s the local environments health as a whole that needs to be taken into consideration as well as each single individual.
"Edward Lotterman: An Economic Argument for Mandatory Vaccinations | Edward Lotterman's Columns | Idaho Statesman." Boise, Idaho News, Weather, Traffic, Jobs, Classifieds | Idaho Statesman. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. This article was written about the economic side of vaccinations. It discussed the religion factor, constitution factor, and advocate of vaccinations factor as well. It will be very supportive to my paper because it covered the pros as well as the cons and supported each at different times. Some quotes I will most likely use will include, “We live in an era in which there is greater emphasis on human liberty and personal responsibility than was true for many years. Many people oppose intrusive government. Few things are more intrusive than government telling people that they must have their children injected with various vaccines.” Here it is supportive to the con side of my papers argument. It brings up the fact that yes, we live in America. Here in America there is a thing that strongly grounds each Americans heart- the constitution. Indeed by telling people they must immunize their children there is a line being crossed of personal freedom in decisions such as that.
Glazer, Sarah. "Increase in Autism." 13.23. CQ Researcher. 13 June 2003. Web. 22 Sept. 2011. This source covered the argument on whether autism is caused by vaccinations. A quote that I could use in my paper is “We feel strongly about the role of vaccines in our son,” says California activist Rollens. Shortly after his son received routine vaccinations at seven months, “he had a very severe reaction and was never the same afterwards. Everything was normal up to that point.” This quote will support my paper because I have the research to refute it. This way I’m addressing my cons of my argument, but also still supporting why I think that the benefits of vaccines are what parents need to understand. I will also refute this quote with the research I have stating that there is no vaccine link to autism in children. This will add support to my paper because it will help me show both sides of the argument and express why my stance on the matter is valid.
Jane A. Buxton, et al. "Identifying attitudes, beliefs and reported practices of nurses and doctors as immunization providers." Journal of Advanced Nursing 66.7 (2010): 1602-1611. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. This was a very interesting scholarly journal entry about doctors and nurses attitudes towards immunizations. One quote stated, “Over 80% of nurses thought using every encounter with a client to offer any needed immunizations was important (3-A5), beneficial (3-A6) and good (3-A7) (Table 3).” This will be supportive to the part of my paper where one of the pros will be trust your nurses and doctors. If nurses find it important to be immunized, then it is definitely something parents’ should think seriously about as well. Another quote said, “We identified that nurses had more positive attitudes and beliefs about administering multiple vaccines and fewer physicians used every encounter to offer any needed vaccines.” This quote will be helpful in supporting my paper because it shows the research that nurses (the people who most often encourage and are in charge of taking care of patients vaccinations) are all for advocating and believing in the power of immunizations. It is this trust that nurses want what is best for their patient that should help encourage parents to immunize their children, especially while listening to nurses they can trust.
LaMay, Colleen. "Shots Help Protect Idaho Kids | Story | Idaho Health 2006." Idaho Health. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. This article discussed how shots protect children and gave reasons and information on advocating vaccinations. A quote I will use in my paper from the article is "We have made huge strides, but we still have work to do," Phillips said. "We still have a large number of kids out there who are not being immunized." Some of those kids have parents who believe shots can harm their kids. "There are a lot of people doing research on the Internet, and the information they get is not necessarily accurate," Phillips said.” This quote will be supportive for my paper because it is program manager for the Central District Health Department in Boise who is advocating vaccinations and providing this website of information. She talks about how not vaccinating children can turn into an epidemic; she uses the warning of the vaccination for whooping cough. This will support the stance of my paper that advocates child immunization.
Luthy, Karlen E., Renea L. Beckstrand, and Lynn Clark Callister. "Parental Hesitation in Immunizing Children in Utah." Public Health Nursing 27.1 (2010): 25-31. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. This scholarly journal entry showed research and discussed why parents in Utah are hesitant to immunizing their children. While the study was on Utah, it could be applicable for Idaho locally as well. The first quote I will use in my paper is, “Exposure to inaccurate immunization information can undermine parents’ confidence in immunization safety and negatively affect their decision to immunize their children (Davis et al., 2006).” This will be a supporting statement to the part of my paper that will explain the problem of parents not having accurate information to make the smartest decisions in immunizing their children. Another quote discussed the inaccurate ideas that parents worried about, “The development of autism remained a major concern among parents, despite past educational efforts to relieve this concern. Parental fear regarding a causal link between immunizations and autism has confused and frightened many parents who were unsure.” This statement will help support the con side of my essay where it will discuss parents’ fear of their children developing things such as autism and other disorders in result to getting their children immunized.
"More Parents Get Exemptions from Idaho Vaccine Law | Idaho | Idaho Statesman." Boise, Idaho News, Weather, Traffic, Jobs, Classifieds | Idaho Statesman. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. This article discussed the raising numbers of parents exempting their children from vaccinations in Idaho. The article said that “Idaho rules allow exemptions to immunizations under three conditions: medical, religious and personal.” These reasons for exemption will be something I discuss in my paper. A quote I will use in my paper from the article is “This School exemptions in south-central Idaho have increased more than 62 percent since 2005.” This statistic shows the decrease in children in Idaho being immunized. This statistic should be alarming to parents because with less kids being immunized the more risk of diseases appearing that shouldn’t be an issue if children are immunized in the first place.
"NMAH | Polio: Timeline." National Museum of American History. Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Web. 23 Sept. 2011. This source coveres the affects the polio epedemic had on the United States. A quote I plan to use in my paper is “In 1952, a record 57,628 cases of polio were reported in the United States”. This quote illustrates the incredible terror and danger that polio created in the United States. This will support my paper because it is a statistic and a credible one. It is a statistic that should grab the attention of my reader and help them understand how the polio vaccine saved the lives of so many Americans, and continues to today.
"Parents Fake Religion To Avoid Vaccines - CBS News." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. This news article talked about how parents had lied about not vaccinating their children for religious beliefs just so they would have an excuse. The main reason for their lying was their fear of their children developing autism. A interesting quote that would massively support the stance of my paper advocating vaccinations stated, “Even though government-funded studies have found no link between vaccines and autism, loosely organized groups of parents and even popular cultural figures such as radio host Don Imus have voiced concerns. Most of the furor on Internet message boards and Web sites has been about a mercury-based preservative once used in vaccines that some believe contributes to neurological disorders.” This will be supportive to my argument because it shows how little parents understand about immunizations without even speaking to a doctor first. I can understand fearing my children getting autism especially if it was caused by something self inflicted like vaccinations. However, blaming autism is not a valid reason not to get your child vaccinated, when countless others have had the same vaccination and never obtained autism.
"Time for Flu Shots, and Some May Get a Tiny Needle | Health & Science | Idaho Statesman." Boise, Idaho News, Weather, Traffic, Jobs, Classifieds | Idaho Statesman. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. This article was about the importance of getting a flu shot each year. A doctor in the article talks about the importance of not depending on the flu shot you got last year to help you through this year. I plan to quote him in my paper when he says in the article, “You should be vaccinated each and every year to ensure both you're protected and you're giving the maximum protection to people around you”. He talks about how even if you have never had the flu, you could still be a carrier and infecting others around you. This article will be supportive to my paper because it stresses the idea of not just protecting yourself but others as well. It emphasizes the importance of updating immunizations as needed and preventing harm to yourself and everyone around you.
Vessel, Kristin. Personal Interview by Natalie Calico. 09/22/2011. This source is an interview I had with the school nurse at Grace Jordan Elementary in Boise Idaho. Our interview covered immunizations amongst elementary children and Vessels opinion on the argument in my paper. Vessel helped me to better understand parents’ fear of autism and our discussion helped me gain my own opinion of it to put into my paper. My opinion that I will express in my paper is that parents don’t understand the genetic link of autism and if they did they would be easier to convince that immunizations are what is best for their children. Not only that but that valid research has proven that there are no links between autism and immunizations. This will support my paper because the autism issue was what I was having the hardest time refuting. Vessel helped me understand that there has been research done both proving and disproving that there is a link between immunizations and autism, but that there has been more research done that shows there is no link.
Poem: Forgotten Treasures
Forgotten Treasures
Skeletal and drained
Abandoned and pained
Searching for food with no luck
Trudging through the waste and muck
Scared and alone
Chewing on meatless bone
Trying to survive in this treacherous place
Tears streaming down their desperate face
Disease nibbling at their heels
As they try to find a meal
No food for today
They go to bed as their bones and muscles continue to decay
No laughter or grins
Their days are all grim
They do not know the feeling of hope
Only the frantic struggle as they attempt to cope
Hunger creates anger and despair
Hunger has no mercy on the victims it wears
These are the children who are expiring and unaided
These are the children who by death’s shadow are always shaded
These are the children who need help right away
They cannot wait forever they need you to care today
These are the children compassion has not caught
These are the children the world has forgot
Short Story: Souls of the Slum
Souls of the Slum
Teesha lives in the slums of Somalia. It has been 8 days since she has found any food. Teesha is only seven years old and already on her own in a world which seems turned against her. Teesha lost her mother when she was five years old. Her mother had gotten sick from a disease that Teesha did not know what was called. All she knew was many others around were victims of it, and each person who this awful disease captured died shortly. Teesha’s father is a man she has never met, nor does she have a desire to meet him. Men to her are cruel and do not treat her or any other women in the slum as if they are people, just possessions or things to throw around. Sometimes she catches herself dreaming of a world where women are respected; where they can earn food by other ways then stealing or letting men violate their bodies. Sometimes Teesha dreams of the place she has heard of called America. Teesha would love nothing more than to live in America where she has heard each person has their own mansion and money grows from the ground and off the tops of the trees. She dreams of a place where there are good people who stop crime from happening. Who prevent her and the other girls from being trapped by evil men. She dreams of a place where the word father means something, and where the word mother is not a word that brings an awful guilty pain to her stomach. Teesha cannot find food. She has been rummaging through trash and destroyed plastic. She has even tried begging on the streets for the day. Yet so many children beg Teesha is unseen and ignored. The children are not pitied.
Teesha is haunted by the death of her mother. When her mother was dying Teesha tried to convince her mother to eat the food she had found for the day. Her mother always refused, forcing Teesha to eat it. Teesha feels as if she ate her mother’s strength, maybe if she had made her mother eat the food that she so selfishly desired and devoured maybe her mother would have gotten well again. Maybe her mother wouldn’t have died in her place. Teesha hates hunger. It is a feeling she has known her whole life. It makes her angry. It makes her do anything for something to eat, even things she knows aren’t right. Like letting her mother die, or stealing from other children who still have families left to care for. She hates those children; the ones that still have mothers. She does not want to hate them but she cannot stop herself. Teesha is so hungry she is past the point of noticing the wrenching pain her stomach is screaming at her body. No longer does she feel that pain, just a constant fatigue. She wants to lie down and sleep, but she knows she must keep searching for food. After what feels like days but is only hours of searching she finally gives up. She cannot fight the exhaustion. Teesha collapses onto a pile of waste. Her discouraged soul is so much stronger then her body usually. Yet today it was defeated.
Interview One: Local Paper
Interview conducted by Natalie Calico with Kristin Vessel a registered nurse currently working at Grace Jordan Elementary.
Date: 9/22/2011
1.) What is your stance on vaccinations?
I would never make someone have their children immunized, it is their choice. I am not sure if I am convinced 100 percent one way or the other on immunizations pro’s and con’s. However, the chicken pox immunization is amazing for students because it prevents them from missing weeks of school.
2.) Do you believe there is a link between autism and immunizations?
I do not, mainly because I have seen evidence that points more in the direction of there being no link. I have not been convinced that there is a link. My friend has a son that is autistic and he was diagnosed soon after he received his immunizations. My friend thought for sure it was the cause of his autism, and when she had her next child she did not have them immunized and they still were diagnosed with autism. There is research out there showing that there is a large genetic link to autism. I have seen it for myself here at school with students and their siblings. If one student has autism they usually have another sibling with it as well. I think that we want to protect our children so much that sometimes we end up harming them by ignoring research and having false fears of what could happen to our children if we immunize them.
3.) Do many parents exempt their children from immunizations?
Yes. Whether it is for religious reasons or something else, many parents do choose not to have their children immunized. Also because this year there was a Idaho law passed requiring more immunizations. I have definitely been seeing an increase in parents exempting their children from immunizations. Many cases it has been because their child or someone they know has been diagnosed with autism after receiving vaccinations. It has become a ethical dilemma also with this new law because technically the students cannot come to school if they do not have their immunizations. However, it is better for them to be in school then to be missing so much and falling behind.
4.) What negative effects have you seen as results of children not being immunized?
Well they are very susceptible to preventable illnesses such as whooping cough. I have seen parents not stay immunized either on their whooping cough vaccination and actually give it to their children. When I worked in the pediatric unit at St. Luke’s hospital I saw a lot of parents passing whooping cough onto their infants without even knowing it. For adults whooping cough is a common cold, but for infants it often results in death. Their little lungs build up so much mucus they suffocate themselves.
Date: 9/22/2011
1.) What is your stance on vaccinations?
I would never make someone have their children immunized, it is their choice. I am not sure if I am convinced 100 percent one way or the other on immunizations pro’s and con’s. However, the chicken pox immunization is amazing for students because it prevents them from missing weeks of school.
2.) Do you believe there is a link between autism and immunizations?
I do not, mainly because I have seen evidence that points more in the direction of there being no link. I have not been convinced that there is a link. My friend has a son that is autistic and he was diagnosed soon after he received his immunizations. My friend thought for sure it was the cause of his autism, and when she had her next child she did not have them immunized and they still were diagnosed with autism. There is research out there showing that there is a large genetic link to autism. I have seen it for myself here at school with students and their siblings. If one student has autism they usually have another sibling with it as well. I think that we want to protect our children so much that sometimes we end up harming them by ignoring research and having false fears of what could happen to our children if we immunize them.
3.) Do many parents exempt their children from immunizations?
Yes. Whether it is for religious reasons or something else, many parents do choose not to have their children immunized. Also because this year there was a Idaho law passed requiring more immunizations. I have definitely been seeing an increase in parents exempting their children from immunizations. Many cases it has been because their child or someone they know has been diagnosed with autism after receiving vaccinations. It has become a ethical dilemma also with this new law because technically the students cannot come to school if they do not have their immunizations. However, it is better for them to be in school then to be missing so much and falling behind.
4.) What negative effects have you seen as results of children not being immunized?
Well they are very susceptible to preventable illnesses such as whooping cough. I have seen parents not stay immunized either on their whooping cough vaccination and actually give it to their children. When I worked in the pediatric unit at St. Luke’s hospital I saw a lot of parents passing whooping cough onto their infants without even knowing it. For adults whooping cough is a common cold, but for infants it often results in death. Their little lungs build up so much mucus they suffocate themselves.
Interview Two: Global Paper
Interview conducted by Natalie Calico with Darin Zarbnisky, Borah High School advanced placement environmental science teacher.
Date: 11/28/2011
1.) What is your opinion on Child Mortality worldwide?
Child mortality has been making improvements worldwide, yet some countries that face abject poverty (extreme) are still facing a difficult time. It is a tragedy to think that improvements in health care access, basic nutrition and education could improve both the quality of life for parents and children, yet the forces against such change are difficult to break.
2.) Do you see the world making progress in reducing child mortality in the future?
As an optimist, I would like to believe that we could alter religious and political agendas, economic systems and public opinion about bringing people out of poverty. The pessimist in me, has hope for helping some, but concedes that most will likely remain in their condition. As for the future, it likely will get worse as we face a burgeoning world population, increased forms of pollution, political unrest and all of these will be compounded by the effects of climate change. The evidence of such change is happening at a rate far greater than the IPCC scientists originally predicted and will likely result in greater instability in providing adequate food and water, as well as the effects of displacing millions of people from their home land.
3.) What do you think the biggest problem is concerning child mortality worldwide?
Probably the biggest problem with child mortality not improving is the reality that we are global society that by sheer numbers spends more time thinking about ourselves, than they do about others. The global attitude seems more concerned with "me, me, me!" The solution, well, I believe the bible has the best set of directions that could be implemented. Wouldn't it be interesting to see that? Could you imagine if everyone had a concern for other's like Mother Theresa?
Date: 11/28/2011
1.) What is your opinion on Child Mortality worldwide?
Child mortality has been making improvements worldwide, yet some countries that face abject poverty (extreme) are still facing a difficult time. It is a tragedy to think that improvements in health care access, basic nutrition and education could improve both the quality of life for parents and children, yet the forces against such change are difficult to break.
2.) Do you see the world making progress in reducing child mortality in the future?
As an optimist, I would like to believe that we could alter religious and political agendas, economic systems and public opinion about bringing people out of poverty. The pessimist in me, has hope for helping some, but concedes that most will likely remain in their condition. As for the future, it likely will get worse as we face a burgeoning world population, increased forms of pollution, political unrest and all of these will be compounded by the effects of climate change. The evidence of such change is happening at a rate far greater than the IPCC scientists originally predicted and will likely result in greater instability in providing adequate food and water, as well as the effects of displacing millions of people from their home land.
3.) What do you think the biggest problem is concerning child mortality worldwide?
Probably the biggest problem with child mortality not improving is the reality that we are global society that by sheer numbers spends more time thinking about ourselves, than they do about others. The global attitude seems more concerned with "me, me, me!" The solution, well, I believe the bible has the best set of directions that could be implemented. Wouldn't it be interesting to see that? Could you imagine if everyone had a concern for other's like Mother Theresa?
Letter of Inquiry: Local Paper
Email to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding immunizations.
Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention email: cdcinfo@cdc.gov
Date sent: 9/8/11
To whom it may concern,
I am currently a student at the College of Western Idaho. My assignment topic has dictated a need for me to collect and analyze information concerning child immunizations. Your institutions name has been found as a credible resource. Could you provide documented support of my belief that most children need to be immunized? Information both supporting pro immunization and anything that you have contrary to immunization would be appreciated. My assignment needs to be a comprehensive study with all perspectives considered.
Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly appreciated,
Natalie Calico
Letter of Inquiry: Global Paper
Email to the World Health Organization regarding child morality worldwide.
World Health Organization email: info@who.int.
Date sent: 10/12/11
To whom it may concern,
I am currently a student at the College of Western Idaho. I am writing to collect any information or data that your organization could provide concerning child mortality worldwide. What can individuals do to provide education and world awareness of a serious issue like child mortality? Do you believe that child mortality can be reduced through knowledge of hygiene to populations suffering from poverty and lack of education? I need any information you can provide.
Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly appreciated,
Natalie Calico
Film Analysis Essay: Deadly Monkey Lies
Natalie Calico
English 102 034W
Film Analysis Final Draft
October 20, 2011
Deadly Monkey Lies
Imagine a death mortality rate of 100% due to a deadly virus in a beloved hometown. Imagine children wailing between their dead parents as they await their own fatal death. Imagine an entire society infected by a disease which should never have been spread in the first place. This is the catastrophe illustrated in the film Outbreak. Fear is the most powerful human emotion. It has power to remove all compassion from a human until only survival instincts are left. Fear in human’s results in anger because of things or events humans cannot control. Then anger leads to chaos. Chaos can only spread so far before it cannot be contained anymore. Fear can result in government and the people losing sight of what compassion and justice truly means.
To understand the movie Outbreak, one must first understand the plot. The movie takes place in an African jungle in 1967 where a deadly disease has wiped out an entire village (Outbreak). The American government orders the entire village to be destroyed in order to kill the disease. However, this does not work and the disease comes back years later. It finds its way to America through the host of an African monkey, and begins to spread in a small town in California. Once discovered military doctors begin to search for a cure (the monkey is the host and the cure to the disease). While they are in the process of searching for the cure the military general and government decide to have the town blown up, just as they did in the African village (Outbreak).
The characters play major roles in the interpretation of the film. Sam Daniels is a military coronal and doctor who represents the compassionate individuals of the world. He plays an important role with his determination to overtake the government and do what is right. Robby is Sam’s ex-wife and she represents the innocent lives that make fighting for what is right worth the battle. General Ford is Sam’s boss. Ford represents the idea of compassion conquering fear. This is proved in the film by Ford when he denies his own boss General McClintock, and assists Sam in saving the town in California. Finally, General McClintock represents the selfish and fearful part of human nature.
The final and most important character who must be analyzed to understand the interpretation of Outbreak is the host, the monkey. The monkey represents the government. The monkey like the government can be a source of death, or a cure. The monkey feeds off fear; its victims are the ones who fear what it is capable of. The little girl in the movie who befriends the monkey is the only victim the monkey never harms. The little girl doesn’t fear the monkey because she is naive and sheltered, she does not understand the harm the monkey could cause her. The government wants its people to be sheltered and naive like the little girl in the movie. If a nation is sheltered then the government can control the fear of the nation. The town in California is a source of fear and the government wants to alleviate the nation of that fear. Therefore, it is their reasoning that the right thing to do is end the source of fear by blowing up the town, and acting like nothing ever happened. The monkey represents how the government can be fatal (by blowing up towns), but a cure of fear at the same time (by keeping their people safe and sheltered).
Lies are created to prevent fear in order for individuals to continue living protected lives. In the film General Ford and McClintock blow up the village in Africa to prevent fear. They keep it a secret and lie in order to keep others protected. In the film when this is happening there are jungle noises beating loudly. Monkeys are screeching, drums are beating, and this creates suspense as the helicopter of the General’s “help” hover above the village. When the bomb is dropped the feeling of suspense becomes a feeling of dread. Devastated realization slowly seeps upon the villagers faces as they watch the bomb float down from the bright blue sky in its path to incinerate them all. As the helicopters fly away from the destroyed village they do so against a bright brilliant blue sky, a sky where everything seems normal and humane. The screeching jungle noises and drums continue on though, as to not let the blue sky’s lie go unnoticed. Throughout the film, the lighting always stays consistent with the appropriate time of day. Even with the horrific and gloomy gruesome things happening, the lighting always matches the time of day. Therefore, even the lighting is supporting the lies being told to America everything is okay, even though there is a town full of dying or dead people the government will fix it and there will be nothing to fear anymore. As the military helicopters fly out yet again to destroy another town, the sky is again a bright brilliant blue. Just like in Africa the sky is lying by telling the world even though thousands of lives are about to be eradicated, everything will continue to be normal and America will be able to remain in their sheltered lives.
Not only do lies help the government prevent fear, but lies also help the government spread fear. In the film Sam Daniels is trying to tell America he has found the host and the town in California does not have to be blown up. General McClintock lies to America on the news and says Sam Daniels is infected with the disease. Although Daniels succeeds in telling the nation that he has found the host, Gen McClintock still used lying as a power to control fear by making Daniels seem dangerous and infected. General McClintock refers to the civilians in the town in California as “casualties of war”, just like he did for the village in Africa (Outbreak). He does not think of them as innocent lives. His fear of not being able to control the nation and his fear of his lies being found out makes him incapable of compassion.
Outbreak illustrates the importance of government power, and disease control. A movie review put it in perfect words by stating, ““Outbreak" is the ultimate government-paranoia flick” (Hicks). This film should make individuals question their government and what it is capable of and what it might be hiding. More so than that it should make individuals curious of what would happen if this movie actually happened, and what steps their government would actually take. The film also proves the importance of disease control. It is important for individuals to be protected from harmful diseases in order for the odds of something like this film actually happening. A journal entry discussed the term “herd immunity”. It described herd immunity as the state at which every individual has their immunizations (B Trollfors). In other words, when everyone is immunized a nation will be able to prevail against any viruses that come their way. The journal states, “The more contagious the disease, the more immune individuals are needed to induce herd immunity” (B Trollfors).This is why it is important for disease to be controlled so when a very contagious disease comes along it is difficult for it to penetrate the immune barrier. The journal goes on to explain:
Higher effectiveness than efficacy is usually ascribed to indirect protection at group level (herd immunity) and depends on the fact that a person who remains uninfected will not transmit disease to others. In other words, the more people who are immune, the less chance that others will be exposed to the infection and finally the disease stops circulating in the community even though susceptible individuals remain. (B Trollfors)
If every nation could succeed in herd immunity the odds of a disease like the one in the movie actually occurring would diminish extremely. The movie Outbreak makes it very clear that disease control and prevention is vital in every nation. It also illustrated lies and being naïve of harmful diseases will negatively affect a nation in the end.
Anyone and everyone living in country with a structured government designed to protect its people and nation should watch this film. It is important to never let justice and compassion be ignored due to fear or lies. Child mortality and mortality in general, can only be helped if people are willing to step out of their sheltered lives and open their eyes to what is real. If each individual in the world could find the Sam Daniels inside of them and muster the determination to do what is right then no innocent child would go to sleep hungry, or die from a preventable virus. In order to help child mortality worldwide individuals must ignore their fearful selfish human nature and truly have a sense of compassion and justice.
Works Cited
B Trollfors, et al. "Vaccination of children – a systematic review." Acta Paediatrica 99. (2010): 1-192. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.
Hicks, Chris. "Outbreak | Deseret News." Salt Lake City and Utah Breaking News, Sports, Entertainment and News Headlines - Deseret News. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.
Outbreak. Dir. Wolfgang Petersen. Perf. Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo and Morgan Freeman. 1995. DVD.
B Trollfors, et al. "Vaccination of children – a systematic review." Acta Paediatrica 99. (2010): 1-192. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.
Hicks, Chris. "Outbreak | Deseret News." Salt Lake City and Utah Breaking News, Sports, Entertainment and News Headlines - Deseret News. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.
Outbreak. Dir. Wolfgang Petersen. Perf. Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo and Morgan Freeman. 1995. DVD.
Global Essay: The Tragic Truth of Child Mortality
The Tragic Truth of Child Mortality
Natalie N. Calico
312581
034W
Leslie Jewkes
November 29th, 2011
Abstract
Child mortality is a worldwide crisis that every country struggles with each day. Preventable diseases steal the lives of vulnerable children who do not have access to vaccinations. Unsanitary environments thick with turmoil and chaos; leave children worldwide left in despair. Without a healthy environment children are not able to thrive and be educated. Hunger kills millions of innocent children who do not have the availability of food and nourishment. Nutrition is a vital part of children’s development and quality of life. In order for child mortality to be reduced worldwide individuals need to work together to make a difference. Children’s lives cannot wait; they need individuals with compassion and awareness to help them obtain a brighter future. Child mortality is a worldwide crisis in which each individual ought to open their eyes and discover in order to take the world another step forward.
The Tragic Truth of Child Mortality
Death of a child results in eradication of a strand of radiant pigment for a brighter future in this world. Children are this world’s future; yet many factors are contributing to enlarging child mortality rates around the globe. One of which is diseases which are frequently fatal to children. Disease has the ability to damage every pore and surface of children’s little bodies until they are nothing but a tragic mess to be winced at by the healthy. Unsanitary environments scattered in filth and turmoil is another factor which increases child mortality. In the United States parents worry about their children picking up germs from the playground, or shopping carts. Yet in poverty stricken countries, parents do not have the liveliness to worry about their children trudging through bodily wastes and garbage as they search for something to eat. This scenario is for poverty’s minority of lucky children whose parents are still alive. Another factor is hunger; which is a feeling known mostly to the United States as a growl or gurgle in the stomach before lunch break starts. Yet all too many children know hunger as an agonizing death. Hunger eats children from the inside out until they have nothing left to show on the outside. Hunger cripples the living into wishing they were dead. To many children in the world death is not just a fear, but a guarantee. Child mortality is a worldwide crisis in which each individual ought to open their eyes and discover in order to take the world another step forward.
Disease is a large factor in worldwide child mortality. Children’s bodies are meant to be resilient and adaptable for their development and growth. However, when children are already frail before becoming diseased it only makes it harder for their bodies to cope. It is important for children’s immune systems to be ready to fight off harmful diseases that may infect their health. Immunizations are incredibly vital to reducing child mortality. The World Health Organization claims, “Immunization is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases and is estimated to avert over between 2 and 3 million deaths each year” (“WHO”). It is remarkable that such a simple form of medicine is able to help so many innocent children from cruel preventable diseases. The issue is many children worldwide even in the United States are not being immunized. It is obviously vital for children in poverty countries to be immunized, due to the large number of diseases and lack of sanitation. However, it should also be just as evidently crucial for children in wealthier developed countries to be immunized. Immunizations should be for everyone, only then can populations be at their strongest for battling preventable illnesses. A journal article showing research on child immunizations states, “Conventional methods of classifying causes of death suggest that about 70% of the deaths of children (aged 0-4 years) worldwide are due to diarrhoeal illness, acute respiratory infection, malaria, and immunizable diseases” (Pelletier). Without immunizations child mortality would become uncontrollable. A journal researching the reasons for children not obtaining immunizations discovered, “The most common reasons for partial or non-immunization were: inadequate knowledge about immunization or subsequent dose; belief that vaccine has side-effects; lack of faith in immunization; or oral polio vaccine is the only vaccine required” (Kumar). The biggest factor in children not being immunized is uneducated parents or an uneducated society. Children not receiving immunizations for any reason should be alarming to not just individual countries, but every country worldwide. The most effective solution to increasing immunizations and reducing child mortality is education. It is important for each individual in this world to understand the importance of vaccinations for every population’s health. Parents, children, everyone, needs to be educated on immunizations and their capacity to prevent and reduce death across the globe.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=123&sid=4b143a4a-097a-4f90-af8d-1630582cd70c%40sessionmgr115&bdata=JmF1dGh0eXBlPWNvb2tpZSxjcGlkJmN1c3RpZD1uczE0OTI0NiZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=52409537
In order for children to live healthy long lives it is important for them to have access to healthy environments. However, in many populations healthy environments are far from being achieved, and not at all accessible to children. David Masci explained in his article regarding problems in Africa, “Nearly half of all Africans live in dire poverty. And only 15 percent live in an environment conducive to economic growth and development” (Masci). Without healthy environments countries are not able to flourish and their child mortality rates are unable to decrease. While Africa is the only place addressed in Masci’s article, the information is applicable to many more locations throughout the world. A journal discussing information on an updated analysis of the Millennium Development Goals predicts, “Even though progress on reducing maternal and child mortality in most countries is accelerating, most developing countries will take many years past 2015 to achieve the targets of the MDGs 4 and 5” (Christopher). In order for the world to reduce child mortality, each country must take large strides toward improving their environments. Turmoil swept, poverty stricken, and polluted environments are not going to have success in producing and raising healthy children until they are improved. It is estimated that each year, “around three million children under the age of five die due to environment-related diseases” (“WHO”). Clearly, unhealthy environments are detrimental to children and need to be fixed. A health issue the United States takes largely for granted is sanitation. Developing countries around the globe do not have the luxuries of plumbing and clean drinking water. Their water is often contaminated with fecal matter and other unsettling wastes. Innocent children willingly expose their body systems to harmful bacteria’s because they have no education or choice to do otherwise. The World Health Organization sadly reports, “Diarrhoeal diseases claim the lives of nearly 1.5 million children every year. Eighty to 90 percent of these diarrhoea cases are related to environmental conditions, in particular, contaminated water and inadequate sanitation” (“WHO”). Drinking water is suppose to be a vital part of supporting life and growth, but to children in unsanitary environments water is a death sentence. Pollution is another environmental factor that needs to be eliminated in order to reduce child mortality. The World Health Organization declares, “Acute respiratory infections annually kill an estimated 1.6 million children under the age of five. As much as 60 percent of acute respiratory infections worldwide are related to environmental conditions” (“WHO”). Respiratory infections are preventable and should not be claiming the lives of so many vulnerable children. If pollution is not reduced then child mortality will not be reduced. Pollution is an issue children cannot control and therefore the polluting sources of countries worldwide should be educated and put to a stop. There is no excuse for knowingly causing the deaths of millions of helpless children. It is imperative that countries have healthy environments in order to give each child a fair and encouraging start at life.
Millions of children worldwide experience hunger every day. Nutrition is a fundamental part of a child’s development. Children need food and nourishment in able to grow and be healthy. Abundant food is something that many individuals in the United States take for granted. The United States wastes multitudes of food every day. That food being wasted could be put towards other countries famines, or hungry children in America. In David Masci’s article discussing famine in Africa, he reports, “…more than 40 million Africans are facing starvation including 14.4 million in southern Africa” (Masci). The numbers of starving individuals in Africa is alarming in itself. However, Africa is not the only location on earth facing starvation. Across the world children are dying of malnutrition due to lack of food. Due to how much food is produced in the world each day, no child should go to bed hungry. While food on earth may seem abundant; it is not accessible to a large majority of populations. Many countries are experiencing droughts and famines that make it impossible for children to obtain the nutrition they need. In a world news article it is reported that, “Three-quarters of a million people are facing death by starvation in Somalia according the United Nations, who declared Monday that famine had spread to a sixth southern region of the beleaguered Horn of Africa state” ("Malnutrition”). Starvation is a dreadful way for individuals to die. It is tragic so many children are victims of hunger when the food exists to save them, but it is not in their reach. Hunger usually arises from areas in dire poverty. Poverty exists in every country in the world. It is estimated that 15.7 million children in America live in poverty (“Every”). Even in America, a place where everyone appears so well fed. So why are so many innocent children dying from hunger when the world has massive amounts of food? The world has the ability to make enormous strides with preventing hunger from killing children. The tragic truth is that until the world becomes less selfish it will be almost impossible to make improvements in reducing hunger. Darin Zarbnisky, a high school advanced placement environmental science teacher stated, “Probably the biggest problem with child mortality not improving, is the reality that we are a global society that by sheer numbers spends more time thinking about ourselves, than they do about others. The global attitude seems more concerned with "me, me, me!" (Zarbnisky). Human nature results in individuals being naturally selfish. However, human nature can only be blamed to an extent. It is no excuse for individuals to think of themselves only and turn their heads to the global problems surrounding them. Before hunger can be reduced, individuals must open their eyes and experience true compassion for suffering children. Child mortality could be heavily reduced if hunger was reduced and nutrition became a part of every child’s life. Eliminating hunger would make the world a more peaceful place, and would save millions of children, ensuring a brighter future for the world.
Children are designed for laughter and play. Their childhood is supposed to remind the world good and genuine innocence truly exists. By reducing child mortality the world will be a happier healthier place for everyone not just children. It is the children that are the future. They represent hope. In order for them to continue being our hope we must first show them that there is such thing. Education is the key to every success. The only way to reduce child mortality substantially is to educate the world on the shocking reality of child mortality. Individuals cannot sit back and hope that someone will make a difference. The only way for change to occur is if each individual acts together. Donate food to your local food bank, volunteer at the American Red Cross, advocate the benefits of immunizations, or educate children on the importance of nutrition and hygiene. The important thing is to do something. If everyone turns their head or waits for someone else to make a difference then nothing will ever be accomplished and child mortality will continue to increase. If each individual did just a little it could all add up to a lot. You never know the difference a can of food could make to a starving child, or the difference a warm blanket could make to a child who sleeps on cardboard every night. There are numerous organizations with the tools and connections for individuals to join together and take a step forward in making the world a safer and happier place for children worldwide. Do not wait for tomorrow, or for a more convenient time, but decide right now to begin making your contribution towards a change. Reducing child mortality is vital for the future of this planet and you will never regret making a precious child’s smile gleam brighter. Children need someone to care about their existence and help them thrive in this often unfair world. Children need your compassion, and they need it right now. What if you were a child alone and hungry, your bones poking through your skin, and your once bright eyes now dully sunken into your skull? What if your environment was in complete turmoil and there was no safe place for you to lay down your weary body at night? What if your mother had died of a disease you couldn’t understand, and you had no one left to depend on but yourself? What if no one was willing to help you, and when they heard your story, and saw your pleading eyes, they walked away and pretended you weren’t as bad off as you looked? Every child deserves kindness and nourishment in their lives. Every child deserves to have a well fed stomach and strong bones. Every child deserves a healthy start to their future. Every child deserves a future. Make the decision now to participate in the goal of reducing child mortality. You never know whose life you might be changing, or how big of an impact you will leave in the heart of an innocent child struggling to survive.
Works Cited
Christopher J L Murray, et al. "Progress Towards Millennium Development Goals 4 And 5 On Maternal And Child Mortality: An Updated Systematic Analysis." Lancet 378.9797 (2011): 1139-1165. MEDLINE. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
"Every Child Deserves To Thrive." Share Our Strength. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.
Kumar, Devendra, Anju Aggarwal, and Sunil Gomber. "Immunization Status Of Children Admitted To A Tertiary-Care Hospital Of North India: Reasons For Partial Immunization Or Non-Immunization." Journal Of Health, Population, & Nutrition 28.3 (2010): 300-304. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
"Malnutrition Taking Its Toll on Somali Children." News Bank Inc. Agence France-Presse, 6 Sept. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
Masci, David. "Famine in Africa." CQ Researcher. 8 Nov. 2002. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
Pelletier, D. L. "The Effects of Malnutrition on Child Mortality in Developing Countries." Google Scholar. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.
"WHO | Children's Environmental Health." World Health Organization. Web. 24 Nov. 2011.
"WHO | Immunization." World Health Organization. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
Zarbnisky, Darin. Personal Interview by Natalie Calico. 11/28/2011.
Works Cited
Christopher J L Murray, et al. "Progress Towards Millennium Development Goals 4 And 5 On Maternal And Child Mortality: An Updated Systematic Analysis." Lancet 378.9797 (2011): 1139-1165. MEDLINE. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
"Every Child Deserves To Thrive." Share Our Strength. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.
Kumar, Devendra, Anju Aggarwal, and Sunil Gomber. "Immunization Status Of Children Admitted To A Tertiary-Care Hospital Of North India: Reasons For Partial Immunization Or Non-Immunization." Journal Of Health, Population, & Nutrition 28.3 (2010): 300-304. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
"Malnutrition Taking Its Toll on Somali Children." News Bank Inc. Agence France-Presse, 6 Sept. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
Masci, David. "Famine in Africa." CQ Researcher. 8 Nov. 2002. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
Pelletier, D. L. "The Effects of Malnutrition on Child Mortality in Developing Countries." Google Scholar. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.
"WHO | Children's Environmental Health." World Health Organization. Web. 24 Nov. 2011.
"WHO | Immunization." World Health Organization. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
Zarbnisky, Darin. Personal Interview by Natalie Calico. 11/28/2011.
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