Anti Poverty Saves Lives

According to Nicholas Kristof's article in the NY Times, 9/22/10, antipoverty work saves around 32,000 lives each day...based on the calculation of how many children died in 1960 (20 million) and the number dying now (about 8 million a year).

Twelve million lives are saved annually...roughly one every three seconds gives us some hope regarding the effectiveness of anti-poverty programs.

Affirming Human Dignity WorldWide

This information was sent to us by Dr. Nancy Murphy,Executive Director, Northwest Family Life. The information comes from Justice: A Global Adventure by Walter Burghardt.

Among industrialized countries the United States ranks number one in military technology, military exports, Gross Domestic Product, the number of millionaires and billionaires, health technology and defense expenditures; ranks sixteenth in efforts to lift children out of poverty; eighteenth in the gap between rich and poor children; twenty-second in infant mortality; and ranks last in protecting our children against gun violence.

Globally the statistics are staggering for children.

Over half a billion children are struggling to survive on under $1 per day

250,000 children and young people are infected with HIV/AIDS every month

130 million children lack access to education and 246 million children are child laborers

8.4 million children are trapped in slavery, trafficking, debt bondage, prostitution, pornography and other illicit activities

500,000 young people under 18 are exploited as child soldiers and 30,000 children die each day from preventable diseases

The Importance of a School Uniform

"A South African study found that giving girls a $6 uniform every eighteen months increased the chance that they would stay in school and consequently reduced the number of pregnancies they experienced."

From Half the Sky
Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn