UCL Global Health Symposium - Fatal Neglect: Forgotten issues in child health

Rhona MacDonald, Senior Editor at 'The Lancet', presented 'Fatal Neglect: Forgotten issues in child health' beginning by highlighting that there are 10 million child deaths every year and asked, "How is this acceptable?" Lack of access to clean water and improved sanitation is responsible for a large proportion of these child deaths, yet these key challenges continue to be neglected in the global health agenda, despite being included in Millennium Development Goals agreed by all the world's countries and leading development institutions. She challenged the audience to take action in prioritising water, sanitation and hygiene interventions - where every $1 invested in water and sanitation generates a $8 return - emphasising that, in this issue, "Complacency is complicity." Symposium panel members included David Mepham (Director of Policy, Save the Children UK), Mikael Ostergren (Department for Child & Adolescent Health & Development, World Health Organization), Logan Brenzel (Senior Health Specialist, World Bank) and Pascale Hofmann (UCL Development Planning Unit)