World Is Spooky Place for Children in Developing Countries

Halloween grim reminder of real threats

RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zombies, vampires and ghosts frighten children each Halloween. It’s an annual tradition. For children living in developing countries, other threats are much more real and much more frightening, notes ChildFund International, a global child development and protection agency.

“We continue to work with families and communities in 31 developing countries to help combat these issues and provide brighter futures for children”

Scary threats include:

• Unsafe drinking water. Each year 1.6 million people die from diarrheal disease linked to lack of access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, says the World Health Organization. Even more frightening is that 90 percent of these are children under 5.
• Hunger. In developing countries, 10.9 million children under 5 die each year, reports the United Nations. Malnutrition and hunger-related diseases cause 60 percent of the deaths.
• Malaria. Malaria kills a child somewhere in the world every 30 seconds, according to UNICEF.
• Lack of education. More than 72 million children do not have access to quality basic education and of those two-thirds are girls, according to the Global Campaign for Education.

“We continue to work with families and communities in 31 developing countries to help combat these issues and provide brighter futures for children,” says Anne Lynam Goddard, president and CEO of ChildFund.

ChildFund International is a global child development and protection agency serving more than 17.8 million children and their family members in 31 countries. For more than 70 years, we have helped the world's deprived, excluded and vulnerable children survive and thrive to reach their full potential and become leaders of enduring change. As a member of ChildFund Alliance we create supportive environments in which children can flourish. To sponsor a child in need, visit the ChildFund website.