Health
Where does this issue fit into the Sustainable Development Goals?
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Major progress has been made on increasing access to clean water and sanitation, reducing malaria, tuberculosis, polio and the spread of HIV/AIDS. However, many more efforts are needed to fully eradicate a wide range of diseases and address many different persistent and emerging health issues.
Facts & Figures
Child health
- 17,000 fewer children die each day than in 1990, but more than six million children still die before their fifth birthday each year
- Since 2000, measles vaccines have averted nearly 15.6 million deaths
- Despite determined global progress, an increasing proportion of child deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Four out of every five deaths of children under age five occur in these regions.
- Children born into poverty are almost twice as likely to die before the age of five as those from wealthier families.
- Children of educated mothers—even mothers with only primary schooling—are more likely to survive than children of mothers with no education.
Maternal health
- Maternal mortality has fallen by almost 50 per cent since 1990
- In Eastern Asia, Northern Africa and Southern Asia, maternal mortality has declined by around two-thirds
- But maternal mortality ratio – the proportion of mothers that do not survive childbirth compared to those who do – in developing regions is still 14 times higher than in the developed regions
- More women are receiving antenatal care. In developing regions, antenatal care increased from 65 per cent in 1990 to 83 per cent in 2012
- Only half of women in developing regions receive the recommended amount of health care they need
- Fewer teens are having children in most developing regions, but progress has slowed. The large increase in contraceptive use in the 1990s was not matched in the 2000s
- The need for family planning is slowly being met for more women, but demand is increasing at a rapid pace
HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
- At the end of 2014, there were 13.6 million people accessing antiretroviral therapy
- New HIV infections in 2013 were estimated at 2.1 million, which was 38 per cent lower than in 2001
- At the end of 2013, there were an estimated 35 million people living with HIV
- At the end of 2013, 240 000 children were newly infected with HIV
- New HIV infections among children have declined by 58 per cent since 2001
- Globally, adolescent girls and young women face gender-based inequalities, exclusion, discrimination and violence, which put them at increased risk of acquiring HIV
- HIV is the leading cause of death for women of reproductive age worldwide
- TB-related deaths in people living with HIV have fallen by 36% since 2004
- There were 250 000 new HIV infections among adolescents in 2013, two thirds of which were among adolescent girls
- AIDS is now the leading cause of death among adolescents (aged 10–19) in Africa and the second most common cause of death among adolescents globally
- In many settings, adolescent girls’ right to privacy and bodily autonomy is not respected, as many report that their first sexual experience was forced
- As of 2013, 2.1 million adolescents were living with HIV
- Over 6.2 million malaria deaths have been averted between 2000 and 2015, primarily of children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. The global malaria incidence rate has fallen by an estimated 37 per cent and the morality rates by 58 per cent
- Between 2000 and 2013, tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment interventions saved an estimated 37 million lives. The tuberculosis mortality rate fell by 45 per cent and the prevalence rate by 41 per cent between 1990 and 2013
Find our more about this Sustainable Development Goal.
This project will provide rural Fijian communities with a local health dispensary/clinic, while offering a carpentry and building training program for local youths.
Project cost
0AUD 25,000
9,020
Raised from 1,539 people
Providing essential supplies and services to children and families across the Gaza region who are impacted by the escalation of conflict.
AUD 30,002
Raised from 3,924 people
This project supports increased investment in and access to culturally appropriate eye care services for underserved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, through training and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health staff.
AUD 25,003
Raised from 4,489 people
Capacity building of community health volunteers and village midwives to
better promote antenatal care to pregnant women, good feeding and care
practices among parents of children under five.
AUD 30,001
Raised from 5,043 people
The Solukhumbu Women’s Health Project (SWHP) aims to improve women’s health across the Solukhumbu district of Nepal including access to women’s reproductive and sexual health services.
AUD 30,006
Raised from 4,812 people
Australia is the only developed country to have blinding trachoma. This disease is one of poverty that can be easily avoided through access to clean water, efficient housing, and education.
AUD 25,035
Raised from 4,057 people
This project will encourage exclusive breastfeeding practices in Nias, Indonesia to help minimize the damage caused by the malnutrition-infection cycle. Training and coaching, supported by localized education materials, should stimulate uptake of exclusive breastfeeding and save lives.
AUD 25,008
Raised from 7,018 people
This project will support 50 children cope with traumatic experiences they had during the Australian fires as well as develop their natural resiliency and strengthen their social support networks.
AUD 22,823
Raised from 6,471 people
For decades, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have experienced lower health outcomes than non-indigenous Australians. Through this project the Fred Hollows Foundation is committed to tackling significant eye health issues for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
AUD 20,002
Raised from 5,701 people
This project focuses on reducing deaths from cervical cancer, currently a leading cause of female mortality in the remote Solomon Islands. SurfAid will work to increase women's access to cervical cancer screening by training peer educators and producing creative media to support health-seeking practices.
AUD 20,005
Raised from 5,646 people
This project is part of the The Fred Hollows Foundation's work to eliminate trachoma from Ethiopia by 2020 and will reach the most remote communities by upskilling the existing health workforce and deploying small surgical teams across the country to screen for trachoma and conduct surgery.
AUD 20,011
Raised from 5,851 people
This project will go towards helping the critical backlog of 100,000 people waiting for sight-restoring surgery in Kenya and remove barriers for the rural population to good eye health.
AUD 20,002
Raised from 6,178 people
The project will look to minimise the risk factors contributing to maltreatment and improve the capacity of parents to care for children in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
AUD 20,006
Raised from 6,439 people
This project will reach poor and marginalised communities in the Philippines, delivering health services and empowering local people to end avoidable blindness.
AUD 20,011
Raised from 6,477 people
This project will increase the skills of community health workers to independently run community health posts, which are the only support structure for pregnant women, mothers and children in remote areas.
AUD 30,038
Raised from 9,727 people
This project is working to strengthen the eye health of female factory workers in Vietnam through training medical room staff in eye care and screening, training factory management in eye health and occupational eye care and equipping factory's medical rooms with basic ophthalmic equipment.
AUD 20,061
Raised from 5,784 people
This project will train more local health professionals and surgeons, who will help address the cataract surgical backlog that is estimated to affect 50,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as well as building and equipping an eye clinic inside the refugee camp.
AUD 20,021
Raised from 6,158 people
This project will address the negative long-term development implications of under-nutrition for individuals, households and communities in rural Laos. Plan Australia will educate the community on health and nutrition, training health centre staff and implementing monitoring tools.
AUD 25,000
Raised from 7,571 people
This project will work to address the eye health crisis in Ethiopia by performing surgeries, distributing antibiotics, educating communities about hygiene and sanitation, and investing in infrastructure such as running water and working toilets.
AUD 20,053
Raised from 6,391 people
This project will improve eye health care for children aged 6-15 across three provinces of Vietnam through conducting screenings, providing glasses and treatments, as well as educating the community in eye health practices.
AUD 20,045
Raised from 6,005 people
This project will establish vision centres at district and provincial hospitals where eye care services are sorely needed, as well as train eye care specialists to staff these centres.
AUD 20,078
Raised from 6,598 people
This project will create education and awareness multimedia in order to prevent childhood malnutrition in remote areas of Indonesia through awareness, training and community support programs.
AUD 25,004
Raised from 7,786 people
This project will be working to improve the quality, quantity and delivery of eye health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in regional and remote Western Australia.
AUD 20,028
Raised from 6,747 people
This project will alleviate the health issues associated with indoor smoke inhalation in Huilloc village, Peru through installation of new cook stoves and proper ventilation methods.
USD 15,007
Raised from 6,023 people
This project will increase nutrition, hygiene and sanitation standards for the families of six isolated villages in Gido, Indonesia, through improving available basic health services and coaching volunteers to support the parents of these communities.
AUD 15,010
Raised from 4,925 people
This project will work to deliver expanded outreach ophthalmology visits across the Top End of the Northern Territory to alleviate the burden of avoidable blindness on remote Indigenous communities.
AUD 20,091
Raised from 6,568 people
Your contribution will help The Fred Hollows Foundation end avoidable blindness and improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.
AUD 20,017
Raised from 5,991 people
In March 2015, the people of Vanuatu were hit by one of the most devastating cyclones in the nation’s history, Cyclone Pam. The YUMI strong project is working with the government and 14 remote island communities to ensure the people of Vanuatu are stronger and better prepared to survive a future natural disaster.
AUD 25,193
Raised from 7,183 people
Infant and maternal mortality in Sumba are well above national figures. This project aims to improve the health and well-being of children under five, pregnant women and the whole community through education and health initiatives.
AUD 25,003
Raised from 8,897 people
Trachoma is a painful, infectious eye disease which can cause permanent blindness. Right now more than 76 million people in Ethiopia are at risk.
AUD 25,161
Raised from 6,750 people
To expand the Comprehensive Eye Care Project into three additional provinces of Northern Laos to address key priorities for eye health aimed at the elimination of avoidable blindness by 2020.
AUD 20,022
Raised from 5,627 people
To deliver expanded outreach ophthalmology visits across the Top End of the NT to alleviate the burden of avoidable blindness and eye health problems in remote Indigenous communities.
AUD 25,065
Raised from 7,534 people
The project aims to contribute to improvements in eye health in Vietnam by supporting local health authorities to strengthen eye health services across 11 provinces.
AUD 15,000
Raised from 3,801 people
This project aims to improve support for teen mothers in three rural locations on Efate, Santo and Ambae in order to improve their health and that of their children.
AUD 30,007
Raised from 11,796 people
Trachoma is a severely painful disease and the largest infectious cause of blindness in the world. This major project runs over several years and aims to eliminate trachoma in 10 Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory through a treatment strategy called S.A.F.E: Surgery, Antibiotics, Face washing, Environment.
AUD 30,026
Raised from 7,403 people
This project aims to strengthen the local district Geta Eye Hospital’s (GEH) ability to provide quality, affordable eye health services with a focus on poor and marginalized groups in Kailali, Dadeldhura, Baitadi districts in remote Western Nepal
AUD 30,010
Raised from 7,277 people
This program will target 650,000 kids in schools across five provinces with a focus on raising awareness of eye health problems, encouraging early intervention and preventing future vision loss.
AUD 15,002
Raised from 3,568 people
Trachoma is a severely painful disease and the largest infectious cause of blindness in the world. This major project runs over several years and aims to eliminate trachoma in 10 Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory through a treatment strategy called S.A.F.E: Surgery, Antibiotics, Face washing, Environment.
AUD 25,007
Raised from 9,444 people
Trachoma is a severely painful disease and the largest infectious cause of blindness in the world. This project aims to eliminate trachoma in 10 Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory through a treatment strategy called S.A.F.E: Surgery, Antibiotics, Face washing, Environment.
AUD 25,000
Raised from 11,161 people
Support 9 communities in South Pagai, Mentawai Islands, to establish vegetable gardens to increase their nutritional status, especially for children under five and pregnant women.
AUD 5,001
Raised from 2,300 people
This project will train Village Health Workers in remote locations on using a new mobile phone/SMS tool to assist them in planning and delivery of community health education activities, and the ordering and supply of basic, essential medicines for communities.
EUR 25,003
Raised from 73 people
Improve the delivery of and access to childhood blindness services at the Dhaka National Institute of Ophthalmology and Jamalpur District Hospital including 400 sight-saving surgeries and 3,000 pairs of children's spectacles.
AUD 25,003
Raised from 11,226 people
CARE will work with local partners and community health workers in Koh Kong and Mondulkiri provinces to deliver a range of low cost, community based and sustainable strategies to improve reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health.
AUD 25,003
Raised from 11,116 people
The Fred Hollows “Sprinkles” program addresses the serious issue of early childhood anaemia by providing an easy to use dietary supplement that will significantly improve the health outcomes of Indigenous children.
AUD 42,804
Raised from 19,255 people
Training courses for health workers to improve health care access and enforce legal protections, supply educational materials and support hospital based services for people living with HIV/Aids in 8 hospitals in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Quang Ninh and Thanh Hoah districts.
AUD 50,002
Raised from 21,479 people
This project will provide funding for basic eye care services in rural and remote areas of Nepal, including day to day services and an Outreach Microsurgical Eye Clinic (OMEC) where hundreds of patients will have access to screening and surgical procedures.
AUD 26,100
Raised from 11,240 people
This project will fund an Outreach Microsurgical Eye Camp where patients living in remote areas of Sindhu district, Nepal will have access to screening and surgical procedures, plus support for the Sindhu Community Eye Centre.
AUD 24,487
Raised from 10,062 people
Running educational workshops & mentoring for indigenous kids 12-19 years to improve self esteem and increase long term positive health outcomes in Kunnunurra, East Kimberly region.
AUD 30,362
Raised from 11,700 people
Medical supplies including antibiotics, antibacterials, respiratory, diarrhoea and pain relief drugs + vitamins for 1000 people in Hang Kia and Bao La villages
AUD 6,002
Raised from 2,226 people
Developing sustainable local capacity to strengthen blindness prevention work in the Eastern Cape of South Africa by training 12 ophthalmic nurses, 30 professional nurses and 210 community health workers
AUD 39,627
Raised from 13,815 people
Eye and dental check-ups for 30 orphans at The Destitute Children’s Home (Pokhara, Nepal) plus purchase of a first-aid kit.
AUD 505
Raised from 194 people
Revisiting the two communities of stone-breakers from 2006 in Siliguri, the project will deliver basic first aid for one week and then purchase the communities a 12 month supply of basic medicines.
AUD 1,003
Raised from 409 people
Setting up an eye care unit to train local doctors, providing examination and surgical equipment and subsidising 100 cataract surgeries in Tien Phuoc mountainous district.
AUD 8,004
Raised from 3,072 people
Delivering basic medicines to two Orphanages in Chernivtsi, Ukraine.
AUD 1,000
Raised from 1 people
Restore sight to 100 people who are needlessly blind in Cambodia, most of whom suffer from cataracts which can be easily cured.
AUD 7,003
Raised from 2,456 people
Delivering basic medicines to three Orphanages in Kyrgyzstan.
AUD 1,106
Raised from 1 people
Supplying basic, essential medicines to 3 communities of child stone-breakers in Siliguri, India.
AUD 500
Raised from 2 people