Shabana, Priyanka Chopra campaign for survival of new borns

Mumbai, Oct 5 : Noted actor and social activist Shabana Azmi along with popular Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra today launched a nationwide campaign for renewed commitment to ensure the survival of millions of newborns and children under age five.

''It is a tragedy that two million children die before their fifth birthday in India, that's one child every 15 seconds. Every one of us has a role to play in saving the lives of children. Together we can stop children dying needlessly,'' Shabana said at the launch of NGO Save the Children's new campaign, Every One that calls for a renewed focus on saving newborns.

''Millions of children are dying across India from easily preventable diseases. Which of these children has the right to survive? Every One of them! But that will be possible only when we create a movement for change when Every One of us gets involved - the youth, media, corporates, the government - the power of Every One will change the world for children,'' Priyanka Chopra said as she placed her palm print on a massive wall to signal her commitment to the cause.

A new Save the Children report reveals that over four lakh newborns in India die in the first 24 hours of life every year, the highest anywhere in the world. They are among the two million children who die within 24 hours of birth all over the world.

Save the Children, the international child rights organisation, launched Every One, its biggest global campaign in India and in 40 countries across the world to call for renewed commitment to ensuring the survival of millions of newborns and children under age five.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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