Slums in Sub Saharan Africa

Almost 4 million children under the age of five die in sub-Saharan Africa every year.

For every 1,000 babies born 172 die – in countries like Canada the rate is 9 or lower.

The major causes of these largely preventable deaths are malaria, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea and AIDS-related diseases.

Additionally, many babies die in their first month because of complications during pregnancy and labour or from infections.

Eighty per cent of these children die at home without seeing a health worker, and most of these deaths could be prevented through basic interventions, clean water and sanitation.

AMREF's Work With Children
AMREF is helping to stop these needless deaths by preventing and managing common childhood illnesses at home and at primary care level.

In Afar Ethiopia, AMREF has supplied 72,500 mothers and children with mosquito nets, quadrupling the number of children sleeping under the nets to more than 80%. AMREF’s groundbreaking PHASE program has saved thousands of children from water-borne diseasse through education and installing clean sources of water in schools across the region.

AMREF is also preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV and improving care, diagnosis and treatment for children living with HIV/AIDS.

AMREF is also supporting children who have been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS by supporting community and family members to generate income to be able to pay for their school fees.