AS we approach Mothering Sunday, could I ask mothers everywhere to spare a thought for mothers in the Third World whose children are dying unnecessarily of TB.
It is World TB Day on March 24 and there are fears that the current world financial crisis will inevitably affect the Global Fund as countries renege on their promised donations.
The Global Fund provides two-thirds of all TB funding overseas; the
current funding gap is already $5 billion.
We know that during the upheaval of the break-up of the Soviet Union, there were nine million additional cases of TB and 1.7 million additional deaths, many of them children.
During this current crisis, the effects could be much worse, as lack of funds will mean fewer children immunised, less money for the lengthy drug treatemtns and therefore more drug resistant strains of TB as shortened treatment regimes are inadequate.
An increase in multi-drug resistant cases of TB may some day affect our children too, so please spare a thought for theirs now.
Will all parents please join in pressing the politicians to honour their promises and especially the Ministers of Health meeting in Oslo this year.
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