MEDIA ADVISORY

PRESS RELEASE: LET’S MAKE THE NEXT 50 YEARS EVEN BETTER FOR CHILDREN IN AFRICA

INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

On Thursday, 23 May 2013 Save the Children is hosting a press conference to describe steps that must be taken to improve progress towards the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goal (MDG4) of reducing child mortality by two-thirds. We would be delighted if you could join us.

WHEN: Thursday, 23 May 2013

The format: A press briefing to take place from 17:00hrs – 17:30hrs

Speaker: Hussein Halane, Regional Director for Save the Children International East Africa Regional Office and Head of Delegation to the AU Summit

WHERE: New AU Conference Center, Briefing Room 2, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

WHY: Over the last decade, Africa has doubled the rate at which it’s reduced child mortality. There are many individual stories of success, with countries such as Malawi and Rwanda, despite enormous odds, being on track to meet MDG4 by the 2015 deadline.

However that progress is still not fast enough – despite counting for only 15% of the world’s population, Africa accounts for nearly half of the world’s child deaths. At the current rate of reduction Africa won’t meet Millennium Development Goal 4. We need to redouble our efforts to meet our collective promises, and ensure that children growing up over the next fifty years are given the opportunity to meet their full

CONTACT: Franco Wandabwa
251-11-4654684/4668075
Africa Advocacy Director
Africa Area Office
Save the Children
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
fwandabwa@savechildren.org
251-11-4654684/4668075