Child injury focus of UN Secretary General’s spouse on Beijing visit

Beijing, July 19, 2012– During a visit to a Beijing kindergarten yesterday, Madame Ban Soon-taek, wife of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, had high praise for efforts to prevent child injury by equipping children with knowledge and awareness of safety measures. According to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) data, injuries are the leading cause of death for children five to fourteen years of age, and every year over 30,000 children below the age of five die from injuries in China.

“Most of these deaths (of under-five children) are easily preventable through education and better collaboration,” said Madame Ban, wife of the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, “Your efforts to equip children with knowledge and awareness about safety measures can demonstrate a good model of how middle income countries should contribute to global efforts to reduce child injury related deaths.”

The major causes of child death due to injury are drowning and road accidents. Non-fatal injuries are primarily caused by falls, animal bites and road accidents. Such accidents and injuries are as preventable as infectious diseases.

Madame Ban made her remarks during a visit to the Yandong Kindergarten of Beijing University yesterday. The visit aims to amplify the United Nation's current campaign for accelerated action and renewed commitments to improve the health and well-being of women and children.

Through the Every Woman Every Child campaign,initiated by the Secretary General, the aim is to save the lives of 16 million women and children by the year 2015.

 Globally UNICEF has launched the Promise Renewed campaign, which calls all governments to work toward eliminating preventable deaths of young children in areas such as mother child health and injury prevention.

In China, UNICEF has worked with the National Working Committee on Children and Women (NWCCW) and other governmental partners to implement a child injury prevention programme since 2007. The project has pilot sites in Jiangxi Province and Beijing.

In Beijing alone, over half a million children and community members benefit from the program, according to Zhao Jinfang, Executive Deputy Director of Beijing Working Committee on Children and Women.

The project's primary theme is “Safe Home, Safe School, Safe Community” to be achieved by raising community awareness. Teaching children how to protect themselves from injuries is an important part of the program.

“Kindergarten is where children start their life-long journey. It is a suitable place to change their attitudes towards injury prevention and change their behavior through education.” said President Zhou Qifeng of Beijing University.

In the kindergarten, Madame Ban gladly received a painting drawn by a child, whose message was road safety.