PROJECT ZERO
	IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNITED NATIONS
If you saw ten children drowning in a pond, would you feel satisfied bringing the closest five to safety? Would you rest knowing that five other children were still drowning, and you had the means to save them? Every day, more than 25,000 children under the age of five die from preventable causes. They die even though the medicines and technology that could save them readily exist. Lions firmly believe that—with the collective will, resources, and leadership—we can change that number from 25,000 to zero. Zero children dying from preventable causes like pneumonia, malnutrition, measles, infection and the diseases that strike when children lack access to clean, safe water. Imagine that a child in your life becomes seriously ill. Imagine the panic coiling inside you as you hold that tiny hand and tell yourself everything will be OK — when you know that might not be true. Then imagine that there is no hospital, no medicine, no doctor, no nurse — that there is literally nothing you can do… but hope. This nightmare is a routine reality for millions of parents and children. Every day, more than 25,000 children die from causes that could have been averted. They die because, through no fault of their own, they are poor and invisible and live in parts of the world where the things that can keep them alive are often considered luxuries. These “luxuries” include clean water, vaccines, basic medicines, and therapeutic foods to stave off deadly malnutrition. Organizations like UNICEF have been delivering these and other lifesaving essentials to children and their families for decades and these efforts have clearly paid off. Earlier this fall, we learned that the global number of under-five child deaths had dropped to its lowest level ever, 9.2 million per year — or just over 25,000 per day. That’s a decline of 27 percent since 1990 and more than 60 percent since 1960. However, in the African country of Sierra Leone, they have the highest child death rate in the world of 262 out of every 1,000 children dying before they reach age five. That’s one in four children dying before they reach their fifth birthday — and that is unacceptable by any measure We have come a long way in reducing avoidable child deaths, but there is no room for complacency. In fact, Lions believe it is time for the international as well as the local community to commit to a simple, urgent, and unassailable goal of zero preventable child deaths. With a potential economic meltdown looming, malnutrition and other ills become even graver threats to the poor and the marginalized. The faltering economy will only further exacerbate existing food shortages and make life even more precarious for those already struggling to survive. Children will bear the brunt of these misfortunes. We the people must do whatever it takes, wherever it is needed — as long as any child, anywhere, is dying needlessly. Believing in zero preventable child deaths is not controversial. It is a position that people of all faiths and political persuasions can, and should, champion. It is basic and it is imperative: We must give every child the chance to survive. We must make zero preventable child deaths a pressing priority, a global objective that cannot be ignored. We know how to solve this problem. All we need are the political will and the resources to make sure every child is reached. The cost of a single measles vaccination is 26.3 cents; a package of high-energy biscuits for a malnourished child is $1.02; a long-lasting mosquito net to help fight off malaria and yellow fever is $5.93 and the cost of a basic family water kit to help fight water borne diseases is $147.14. Please consider joining our “I Believe In Zero” campaign and make a tax deductible donation. We encourage every Lions Club to partner with a youth group and have fundraisers. Youth helping Youth!