[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 115 (Tuesday, July 28, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H8941-H8943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 550) recognizing the ``Day of the 
African Child'' on June 16, 2009, devoted to the theme of child 
survival and to emphasize the importance of reducing maternal, newborn, 
and child deaths in Africa.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 550

       Whereas the ``Day of the African Child'' has been 
     celebrated on June 16 each year since 1991, when it was first 
     initiated by the Organization of African Unity;
       Whereas the African Union has designated child survival as 
     the theme of the ``Day of the African Child'', June 16, 2009;
       Whereas the African Union Heads of State and Government 
     decided to make child survival a theme of their 15th Ordinary 
     Session in July 2010;
       Whereas according to the United Nations Children's Fund 
     (UNICEF), sub-Saharan Africa remains the most difficult place 
     in the world for a child to survive;
       Whereas every year in sub-Saharan Africa, 1.2 million 
     babies die in the first month of life and roughly 1 in every 
     6 children fail to reach their fifth birthday, and the actual 
     number of children under five years old dying each year is 
     increasing;
       Whereas an estimated 9 out of 10 women in sub-Saharan 
     Africa will lose a child during their lifetime, and an 
     estimated 700 women will die each day of pregnancy-related 
     causes;
       Whereas the top five killers of children under five in sub-
     Saharan Africa are preventable diseases (neonatal causes, 
     such as respiratory infections, pneumonia, malaria, diarrhea, 
     and HIV/AIDS) which we know how to treat and cure;
       Whereas the high level of maternal and child mortality and 
     morbidity in Africa can be attributed, according to African 
     Union Ministers of Health, to weak health systems, a low 
     level of skilled attendance at birth, poor health 
     infrastructure, and inadequate financial resources;
       Whereas some sub-Saharan African countries have sustained 
     high annual rates of reduction in child mortality through 
     strong political will, sufficient investment, and concerted 
     action;
       Whereas over the past three decades, United States 
     international child survival and maternal health programs 
     have helped save millions of lives in Africa and elsewhere; 
     and
       Whereas last year the G8 Summit leaders, meeting in 
     Hokkaido, Japan, stated on July 8, 2008, ``We reiterate our 
     support to our African partners' commitment to ensure that by 
     2015 all children have access to basic health care (free 
     wherever countries choose to provide this).'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the ``Day of the African Child'';
       (2) affirms its solidarity to address the challenge of 
     maternal, newborn, and child mortality;
       (3) salutes the health professionals and community health 
     workers on the front lines in Africa who are extending health 
     care and hope to families across the continent; and
       (4) reaffirms the importance of United States partnership 
     with African leaders and communities in reducing child, 
     newborn, and maternal deaths from treatable and preventable 
     causes.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Ros-Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from American Samoa.


                             general leave

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from American Samoa?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. I certainly 
want to thank our senior ranking member of our House Foreign Affairs 
Committee, my good friend, the gentlelady from Florida, Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen, for her support of this legislation, as well as the chairman 
of our Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Berman).
  Madam Speaker, the Day of the African Child has been celebrated on 
June 16 each year since 1991 when it was first initiated by the 
Organization of African Unity, the precursor of the African Union. 
According to the United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, sub-Saharan 
Africa remains the most difficult place in the world for a child to 
survive. Every year in sub-Saharan Africa, 1.2 million babies die in 
the first month of life. Roughly 1 in every 6 children fail to reach 
their fifth birthday. Despite significant overall progress in 
decreasing mortality rates for children under age 5, each year an

[[Page H8942]]

estimated 9.2 million newborns and children die from preventable and 
treatable causes.
  The top five killers of children under five include neonatal causes 
such as respiratory infections, pneumonia, malaria, diarrhea and HIV/
AIDS. According to African Union Ministers of Health, the high level of 
maternal and child mortality and morbidity in Africa are attributed to 
weak health systems, a low level of skilled attendance at birth, poor 
health infrastructure, and inadequate financial resources.
  Progress in reducing maternal newborn and child deaths can be 
achieved through increased coverage of proven solutions. Over the past 
three decades, U.S. international child survival and maternal health 
programs have helped save millions of lives in Africa and elsewhere. We 
join in solidarity with national leaders across Africa, UNICEF and many 
other humanitarian groups in marking the Day of the African Child with 
a continued commitment to boost child survival. I strongly support this 
resolution and urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 
550, recognizing the Day of the African Child, which is observed each 
year on June 16. Since 1991, June 16 has served as the day to draw 
attention to the ongoing threats to child survival in Africa and to 
highlight the need to reduce newborn and child deaths in Africa. 
According to UNICEF, 11 million children die each year. In sub-Saharan 
Africa, which is the most heavily impacted region in terms of child 
mortality, 1.2 million babies will die in the first month of their life 
each year. An estimated 1 out of every 6 African children will never 
reach their fifth birthday.

                              {time}  1900

  Of the top 10 countries in the world with the highest rates of 
mortality for children under 5, nine are in Africa. Unfortunately, that 
figure does not significantly improve as you look further afield. Of 
the top 50 countries with the highest rates of child mortality, 41 are 
in Africa, but perhaps even more devastating than these figures is the 
fact that many of these deaths are preventable.
  According to UNICEF, 70 percent of all child deaths are attributable 
to six causes, including diarrhea, malaria, neonatal infection, preterm 
delivery, and lack of oxygen at birth.
  More than half of these could be avoided through low-tech, evidence-
based, cost-effective interventions, such as vaccines, antibiotics, 
nutritional supplements, bed nets treated by insecticide, and improved 
family care practices.
  Again, with strong political will, targeted investments in health 
systems and with concerted action to confront the underlying causes of 
these high rates of child mortality, many of these deaths can be 
averted. As the resolution indicates, Madam Speaker, United States 
international child survival and maternal health programs have helped 
save millions of lives in Africa and beyond over the past three 
decades.
  Since 1986, the United States Agency for International Development, 
USAID, has provided over $7 billion in assistance. With other 
international and private-sector partners, the U.S. has succeeded in 
reducing child deaths by 50 percent since 1990 from diseases related to 
diarrhea. The U.S. has provided over 100 million immunizations to 
children each year, and the U.S. has reduced malnutrition by 25 percent 
among children under the age of 5, but much more needs to be done. For 
this reason, I support H. Res. 550.
  I reserve the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I yield such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I want to commend the distinguished chairman of our 
Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, and I would like to commend 
his ranking member, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), not only 
for their leadership but for their tremendous commitment and efforts in 
trying to help establish programs that are helpful to the citizens of 
Africa.
  There are approximately 500 million people who live in Africa. 
Recognizing the children of Africa and recognizing the tremendous 
health problems that they're confronted with, I think, is certainly 
something that our government has a moral responsibility to do, and we 
must do what we can to be of assistance.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am proud to yield 4 minutes to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the ranking member of the 
Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my good friend, Ranking Member 
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for her leadership, and I want to thank my good 
friend Eni Faleomavaega and, of course, Chairman Payne, who is the 
author of the resolution before us.
  Madam Speaker, as ranking member of the subcommittee and as a 
cosponsor of this resolution, I share Chairman Payne's deep and abiding 
concern regarding child survival, which was the theme of this year's 
event.
  For the record, as a Member of Congress, I've worked for most of the 
last 29 years on child survival initiatives. I began in the early 1980s 
with the four pillars of child survival and with the famous Jim Grant, 
the former UNICEF director, who was a passionate defender of those very 
low-cost interventions that could literally save lives--including 
vaccinations, oral rehydration therapy, growth monitoring, and 
breastfeeding, which can effectuate miracles in the lives of children 
and their families.
  Madam Speaker, there is a universal recognition that our children are 
our Nation's most precious, vulnerable citizens who demand every 
protection and safeguard society can provide. In no way is this 
protection and assistance needed more today than on the continent of 
Africa.
  Africa is home to just over 10 percent of the world's population; yet 
it accounts for some 44 percent of all children who die before they 
reach the age of 5. There are estimates that some 4.6 million African 
children under 5 lose their lives each and every year. The 
circumstances under which a baby is born and the first few days of life 
outside the mother's womb are critical.
  In the 2009 State of the World's Children report, the U.N. Children's 
Fund reports that, in 2004, the highest rates of neonatal deaths--
deaths within the first 28 days after birth--occurred in West and 
Central Africa at the rate of some 45 per 1,000 live births. Eastern 
and Southern Africa also had the highest rates at 36 neonatal deaths 
per 1,000 live births. That compares to about 3 deaths per 1,000 live 
births in industrialized nations.
  Even within this short window of time, there are great variations in 
the baby's likelihood of survival. The greatest risk is during the 
first day after birth when an estimated 25 to 45 percent of neonatal 
mortalities occur. Almost three-fourths of all neonatal deaths occur 
within the first week after birth.
  As UNICEF points out, a baby's chance of survival is not determined 
at the moment of birth. The report points out ``the health of mothers 
and newborns is intricately related, so preventing deaths requires, in 
many cases, implementing the same interventions.'' Among those 
interventions are adequate nutrition, prenatal care for the unborn 
child, antenatal care, skilled birth attendants, and access to 
emergency obstetric care when necessary.
  Basically, we now know that we must treat expectant mothers and their 
unborn children as two patients to ensure the survival and the 
sustainable health of both. Therefore, the resolution correctly 
emphasizes the necessity of improving child, newborn and maternal 
health in order to ensure child survival in Africa.
  Again, I want to thank Mr. Payne for introducing the resolution.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I have no other speakers, so I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I do want to again commend my good 
friend from New Jersey for his most eloquent statement and for his 
commitment in helping our people in Africa, and I would like to commend 
the senior ranking member of our House Foreign Affairs Committee for 
her support of this legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from American Samoa

[[Page H8943]]

(Mr. Faleomavaega) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution, H. Res. 550.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground 
that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum 
is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________