African babies face uphill struggle for life

0 Comments | AFP, November, 2006

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) — A baby born in Africa faces a harrowing struggle to survive even a day due to a lack of basic ante-natal care, a report by a group of international health organisations has said. Around 500,000 children die on the world's poorest continent within the first 24 hours while an average of 1.1 million lose their fight for life within a month of their birth, said the report compiled by researchers from groups such as the World Health Organisation, Save the Children and USAID.

"There are many women and babies out there who don't have anybody to shout for them and are dying uncounted and unnamed but definitely not unmourned," said Joy Lawn of Save the Children at the report's launch in Johannesburg on Wednesday. Aside from the strong links between HIV/AIDS and...