Wars are killing Africa’s children

DEPRIVATION: NO HEALTHCARE, CLEAN WATER KILL 5M

Conflicts cause potentially preventable infectious diseases, malnutrition – report.

Nairobi

Five million children in Africa have died from preventable diseases over the last 20 years because armed conflict deprived them of access to basic healthcare or clean water, scientists said on Thursday.

A study published in The Lancet medical journal showed conflict in countries such as Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo had contributed to the deaths of up to five million children under five between 1995 and 2015.

The figure includes three million victims aged one or younger, and is much higher than previously estimated, with civilian infant deaths outnumbering armed conflict deaths by more than three to one, said scientists.

“Conflict appears to substantially increase the risk of death and stunting of young children over vast areas and for many years after conflicts have ended,” said lead researcher Eran Bendavid from Stanford University in a statement.

“The impact of war generates a series of lethal but indirect impacts on communities caused by potentially preventable infectious diseases, malnutrition, and disruption of basic services such as water, sanitation, and maternal healthcare.”

The study looked at almost 15 500 conflicts in 34 of Africa’s 54 nations over two decades and examined data on conflict-related deaths, as well as live births and child mortality rates. – Reuters