Over 50 MEPs sign their commitment to MDG4, pledging to Kick off … for children’s health!

Over 50 MEPs sign their commitment to MDG4, pledging to Kick off … for children’s health!
16 June 2010: At the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Plan Europe organized as partner of Action for Global Health an alternative World Cup on children’s health. European Parliamentarians (MEPs) joined as well as other distinguished guests to mark African Child Day with a football themed event against child mortality (MDG4). At the event, chaired by MEP Michael Cashman, guests were invited to Kick off … for children’s health! by shooting goals, playing AfGH’s new online football game on children’s health at www.mdg4.eu and committing to take greater action for the Health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Sabine Terlecki from Plan EU Liaison office, who developed the game, then introduced the event itself and presented the AfGH joint CSO statement on MDG4. She reminded the assembled audience of over 50 attendees that with one child dying every three seconds, the time for action is now. In the 90 minutes that it takes to play a football match, about 1,800 children die from easily preventable causes. “It’s time to show child mortality the red card," she concluded.

While the event proved highly enjoyable, the messages were much more serious and clear: 25,000 children still die each day from largely preventable diseases, and much more needs to be done by the EU to reduce this number and achieve progress on MDG 4.

MEPs and Youth joined Action for Global Health at the European Parliament for alternative World Cup football event

His Excellency Mr. Anil Sooklal, South African Ambassador to the EU, then highlighted the significance of football as a tool to empower young people and promote health related development aims and welcomed the online campaign as important awareness raising tool not only for politicians. Over 16 MEPs were present at the event, and several expressed strong interest in conducting similar events together with AfGH in their home countries using the AfGH online football game on children’s health. 

Other stakeholders were present including members of the EP development secretariat and a young student group, who managed to outclass their older co-attendees by expertly shooting balls in a specially designed AfGH Goal Post.

Kick off … for children’s health!        

Try also our online game ‘Just a minute!’ on maternal health: www.mdg5.eu

Any other queries may be directed to Sabine Terlecki, communication and campaign manager, Plan EU Liaison office: sabine.terlecki@plan-international.org