JSM - Edition Two

C hallenges A nd O pportunities L ocally A nd G lobally - continued

Similarly, the high morbidity rate of Tuberculosis in Cambodian children is because there are no regulations requiring mandatory reporting of new cases and little supervision of treatment to ensure compliance. This, together with the high cost of medicines to treat Tuberculosis results in the disease being widespread and not well controlled. What is currently being done to ensure that the situation is being addressed and might possibly be changing? UNICEF are trying to help children with serious diseases by providing better access to healthcare. UNICEF is also trying to build resources in communities to grow fresh food and wells to allow accessibility to clean water. UNICEF also puts in place programs to better educate communities about prevention of diseases and strategies to treat existing diseases and supplies these resources to the children as well. There are lots of charities being set up to make sure children around the world have good health and to raise money to supply poor countries or countries affected by war with medicines to help the children. For more than 60 years, AT&T and its foundation have committed $1.8 billion to philanthropic programs supporting education; community development and health communities across different countries. I think less children are dying from diseases because new medicines and inventions are being created and more people are volunteering to help children with bad diseases. These organisations are changing the health conditions for children in many countries for the better. In relation to HIV prevention and treatment for children with HIV infection in Cambodia, UNICEF and other organisations like them can play an important role in educating communities about the prevention of HIV. It is also important to educate pregnant women about the strategies to prevent this disease spreading to their unborn children. This involves screening of pregnant mothers and availability of better medical facilities to allow caesarean births to be possible and safe. Regarding Tuberculosis prevention and treatment, once again, education, monitoring of outbreaks and better supervision of treatment to maximise compliance is important. UNICEF and similar organisations are ensuring this is being done more frequently than previously. UNICEF can also help control the incidence of Tuberculosis in Cambodia by supporting children living in poverty or supporting children with seriously ill parents or no parents at all.

continued over page...

Page 26

JSM Edition Two