United Nations Says Millions of Children, Caught in Poverty, Die Needlessly

Almost 11 million children, most of them babies, die each year of preventable causes, according to UN officials meeting to set up strategies to save more lives. The World Health Organization and UNICEF said diarrhea, malaria, measles, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS and malnutrition were the main causes of death and resulted from the impoverished conditions of 600 million children around the world.

According to UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy, with the exception of Nordic nations, contributions by rich countries for development aid have gone down, leaving the poorest countries struggling to meet basic needs. "Even the poorer countries have to invest in their services, but it's especially difficult in sub-Saharan Africa, where conflict and HIV/AIDS undermine efforts," she said.

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