Wednesday, May 25, 2011

PRESS RELEASE
Sarkozy baby wins geographic roulette
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World Vision has heard the news that President Sarkozy and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy are “We want all children to
expecting a baby this year, and offers congratulations to the family at this exciting time. have the same chance
Baby Sarkozy’s birth in France means he will be 52 times more likely to celebrate a fifth of survival that the
birthday than an infant born this year in the former French colony of Chad. And based Sarkozy baby will have.
on odds that reflect the averages for country of birth, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is 150 times
more likely to survive pregnancy and childbirth than a woman in Chad. “While the G8 can be
proud of their part in
As G8 leaders gather for this week’s summit in Deauville, their congratulations to the reducing child deaths,
Sarkozys should be coupled with renewed action to tackle the conditions that still lead to more than 20,000
8 million preventable deaths of children under age five each year. children under age five
As one of the least developed countries in the world, Chad exemplifies situations that still die each day.
can most benefit from assistance to improve child and maternal health and “Amid the happy news
development. G8 leadership has helped reduce annual preventable deaths globally by that a baby is expected
an additional 15 million children in 2010, compared with 2004 levels. Support for cost- by the Sarkozys, world
effective interventions reaching households can dramatically extend those gains. leaders should be
Children in developing countries like Chad most often die from preventable causes that mindful that too many
rarely kill children in France or the United States—diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia. An families in developing
underlying cause is often malnutrition. countries are grieving
the loss of their children
• About two-thirds of the 20,000 children a day that die could be saved with simple to preventable causes.
interventions like better nutrition, mosquito nets and immunizations. The G8 has a chance
• In France, 4 in every 1,000 children die before age five. In Chad, it’s 209 per 1,000. again this week to
extend gains in the fight
• In five countries–Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Kenya, and Zambia–
against child mortality.”
child mortality rates have worsened since world leaders in 2000 made a set of global
promises known as the Millennium Development Goals.

• France spends $4,966 on health per person, Chad less than $49. - Robert Zachritz, World
Vision US Advocacy
Most French women give birth in equipped health facilities with a doctor who specializes
Director
in childbirth, whereas mothers in Chad often go through labor without a skilled birth
attendant. Most lack pre-natal care and support during pregnancy and in the critical
days following childbirth.

• Chad has the second-highest maternal mortality rates worldwide, with a woman’s
lifetime risk of death in pregnancy or childbirth at 1 in 14.
• As many as 80% of maternal deaths could be prevented if women had access to
better nutrition, emergency care and a trained health worker during childbirth.
• More than 350,000 women die each year during childbirth or from pregnancy-
related complications worldwide. Children who have lost their mothers are 10 times
more likely to die prematurely.

For interviews with World Vision experts, contact:

Geraldine Ryerson-Cruz, +1.202.615.2608 or gryerson@worldvision.org

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World Vision is a leading Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with
children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by our Christian values, we are
childhealthnow.org
dedicated to working with the world’s most vulnerable people. We serve all people regardless of religion, race,
ethnicity or gender.