Vol. 1, June, 2010

Welcome to the first edition of the Zinc Saves Kids e-newsletter

Each year, 450,000 children are at risk of dying from zinc deficiency and resulting complications such as diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria. A few extra milligrams of zinc every day can literally be the difference between life or death.  And it costs so little.  Just 50 cents will give a child a 10-14 day course of zinc tablets to treat acute diarrhea and 1-4 US$ will give a child preventive zinc treatment for an entire year.

UNICEF and IZA have joined forces through the Zinc Saves Kids initiative to provide zinc-containing supplements as a quick, effective and inexpensive response to this global crisis.

This issue of the newsletter is dedicated to the many ways you can help us put an end to zinc deficiency.  Whether through raising awareness or donating money, your contribution to Zinc Saves Kids will save lives. Children are our greatest resource; help give them a chance to live.

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Zinc Saves Kids Initiative

In January 2010, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Zinc Association (IZA) launched “Zinc Saves Kids”. The initiative will raise funds to support UNICEF’s zinc supplementation programs for children in developing countries.

Zinc deficiency is a major health threat for children in low-income countries but it is one which can be readily addressed with cheap, simple and existing tools such as zinc supplements. A number of local zinc supplementation programs are already being implemented in some countries with excellent results, especially in the treatment and prevention of diarrhea. Diarrhea constitutes the second most common cause of child deaths worldwide. Two million children under the age of five die from diarrhea every year. The provision of zinc supplements will help improve the survival, growth and development of these children.

At a meeting during the World Economic Forum, Don Lindsay, Chairman of IZA and President and CEO of Teck Resources, presented UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman with a check for US$1.66 million as part of IZA's multi-year commitment to raise funds for Zinc Saves Kids.

“Children are our greatest resource, we can’t allow that millions of them die every year, especially when zinc is part of the solution,” says Don Lindsay, President and CEO of Teck Resources Limited and Chairman of the International Zinc Association.

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Where Will Contributions Go?

Contributions to the Zinc Saves Kids campaign will flow initially into UNICEF’s ongoing supplementation projects in Peru and Nepal.  As additional monies are raised, the program will expand to other at risk areas.
 
Peru was selected as a priority site since over 40% of it's population is at risk of inadequate zinc intake.  Zinc Saves Kids in Peru will:

1. Improve by 40% the zinc intake in children under three years of age through the multi-micronutrient powder supplementation and the promotion of adequate complementary feeding.

2. Reduce by 15% the incidence and severity of diarrhea diseases in children under five years old in vulnerable areas, by using zinc supplementation as a therapy.

3. Reduce by 30% the anemia prevalence in children under three years old through micronutrient supplementation.

4. Improve the knowledge about effective zinc interventions in public programs of survival, growth and child development. The Peruvian Ministry of Health does not currently have a specific strategy to prevent and control zinc deficiency. Activities implemented within the Zinc Saves Kids initiative will help the Ministry of Health adjust its strategy for zinc supplementation nationwide.

In Nepal, almost 50% of children under the age of five years suffer from chronic malnutrition, or in other words are stunted. Stunting is associated with severe zinc deficiency. Also of great concern is that almost half of the children under five years and approximately 75% of children under two years of age suffer from anemia. Due to lack of access to micronutrient-rich foods (including zinc), diarrhea and pneumonia are currently the leading causes of death in children under five.

Following a recommendation of UNICEF and WHO, in 2005, the Nepalese Ministry of Health started administration of zinc tablets in addition to its oral rehydration therapy. This intervention was extended to 68 health districts by 2009 - out of a total of 75 health districts nationwide. However, zinc coverage is far from optimum. There is erratic and inadequate supply of zinc tablets; poor logistics management; lack of awareness concerning the intervention in the community; and inadequate understanding of the treatment even amongst health service providers.

Therefore, Zinc Saves Kids will support a pilot project involving four delivery models in six districts in order to identify a cost effective and efficient program design for the national scale up of micronutrient powder supplementation including zinc. Following, Zinc Saves Kids will fund the expansion of this model in an additional 15 health districts. It is envisaged that approximately two million children under the age of two will be reached through this supplementation program and that the growth and nutritional status of 3.8 million children under the age of five will be improved.

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