An estimated 6,000 children per day are dying because of Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic may cost us dearly. Not directly because of the virus, no. As Covid-19 continues to weaken health systems, other preventable diseases are once again gaining ground around the world. The “usual” figure of 2.5 million children under the age of 5 who die every six months, is already glaring. But almost 50% more? From avoidable causes? But if children are in danger, mothers are too. During the same period, 56,700 additional maternal deaths could also occur.

These numbers are based on an analysis by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. The study was conducted in 118 countries. The analysis is based on three scenarios concerning the deaths of children and mothers due to a reduction in vital health services during the Covid-19 crisis.

In the worst-case scenario – but not unthinkable – coverage of essential health services would decrease by ± 45% over 6 months. These figures from the researchers are alarming. This article (in French) offers six ways to avoid these additional deaths.

SOURCE: La Libre, 15 May 2020 (en français) ; PHOTO: @Unsplash

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Surrogate babies marooned in Ukraine due to travel bans

At least 100 babies born into Ukraine’s booming surrogate motherhood business, managed by a company BioTexComCenter for Human Reproduction, have become marooned there, as their biological parents in the USA and other countries cannot travel to retrieve them. For now, the agencies that arranged the surrogate births are caring for the babies. Authorities say that as many as 1,000 may be born before Ukraine’s travel ban for foreigners is lifted.

SOURCE: New York Times, 16 May 2020 ; PHOTO: Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press