Health

Improve quality of life and focus on preventative measures

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For children living in poverty, sickness and disease can be life threatening without access to timely medical support and intervention.

Why health is so important

Girls account for nearly two-thirds of all new HIV infections among adolescents (15-19 years old)

More than three quarters of all malaria deaths worldwide occur in children under five

Close to one-fifth of all children under five remain undernourished

An estimated 19.4 million infants worldwide miss out on basic vaccines

Sources: UNAIDS; WHO; World Bank

Maintaining good physical health is an important part of Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program. But this represents a significant challenge within the context of poverty and disadvantaged communities.

Through generous supporters, the Health Critical Need covers expenses when unforeseen circumstances in a child’s life arise such as accidents, disease or the need for surgery. It means children in Compassion’s programs can receive the specific care and treatment they need to remain healthy.

This may include:

Costs of surgery
Treatment for illness or injury
Provision of food and nutritional support for malnourished children
Vision, hearing and dental needs
Mobility needs
Specialist care and support

When you give to Health you also invest in initiatives that improve quality of life and focus on preventative measures. This means children will learn to keep themselves healthy throughout their lives.

For every $1 donated

80% goes to program, 20% to administration

80%

Program development and delivery

20%

Administration and fundraising costs

See exactly where your money goes

Health Stories

Feature Story

28 Mar, 2024

The Miracle Child: Joy’s Story

“Vicky called me because Joy was burning with fever,” says Josefina. “I went there right away. She had a 40-degree fever when they checked. The church staff tried to bring her temperature down. I told my husband to come home from work. Then we started looking for a hospital.”.. Read more

02 Jul, 2020

How to Pray for Your Sponsored Child and Their Family

Want to pray for your sponsored child, but not sure where to begin? Here are three tips to get you started!.. Read more

25 Jun, 2020

Four Ways COVID-19 Will Undo Child Development Progress

Millions of children have escaped poverty in the past few decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to undo much of that progress. So what are the risks that children face—and how can we respond?.. Read more

FAQs

Why does the cost to support an entire Mums and Babies survival project vary between countries?
The care that families receive from Mums and Babies is specific to them, and differs between countries based on children’s needs and the availability and accessibility of government or other support services. This means the cost to support an entire Mums and Babies survival project also varies between countries ($15,000 - $25,000 per year), and has been determined by the price of local services, families' specific needs and currency conversions.

For example, in Thailand, free universal healthcare is available to families—but not always accessible, especially in remote areas. Instead of replacing existing services, your support empowers Compassion staff to assess and meet each family’s individual and most urgent needs. For children in Thailand, this includes providing educational and health support to increase rates of breastfeeding, helping to prevent undernutrition and stunting for newborns.

You can support Mums and Babies for $12 per month or another amount of your choosing. You can also give through a one-off financial contribution. These contributions are pooled to support mothers and babies all around the world.

If you are interested in supporting an entire Mums and Babies survival project, please contact us.

You can:
- Give to Mums and Babies
- Contact us for more information
How much does it cost to support Critical Needs?
The recommended amount to give to one Critical Need is $12 per month. However, you can give any amount of your choosing through either options of one-off or monthly giving. The giving options are flexible, so you have the freedom to support the areas you are most passionate about through Critical Needs.

You can:
- Give to Critical Needs
If I give to Critical Needs, where will my money go?
You can choose to donate to one of nine Critical Needs areas: - Water and Sanitation - Health - Infrastructure - Mums and Babies - Disaster Relief - Education and Training - Income Generation - Highly Vulnerable Children - Where Most Needed

Your donation goes towards addressing that area of need for children in our program globally. For example, should you give to Water and Sanitation, your donation could go towards providing water filters, water tanks or toilets in any of the over 25 countries where Compassion works. Funds are pooled so that children's most urgent needs are met first, as determined by local church partners who know each child and family in Compassion's program. You can also choose to support an entire Critical Needs project. Please contact us if you are interested in discussing this option further.

You can:
- Give to Critical Needs
- Sponsor a child
Where does Compassion Mums and Babies operate?
Compassion Mums and Babies works in over 25 developing countries to prevent premature death, secure good health and enable positive development in the youngest, most vulnerable children.

Mums and Babies always operates through a survival project at the Compassion centre in local communities. It is the first phase of our holistic child development model. From age one, children will transition from Mums and Babies into the Child Sponsorship Program.

You can
- Give to Mums and Babies
- Learn more about the Child Sponsorship Program
Can I give to Critical Needs if I do not sponsor a child?
Yes, you can give to Critical Needs if you do not sponsor a child. Critical Needs is essential to overcoming obstacles for children living in poverty and your donation to Critical Needs will go towards helping thousands of children. Choose an area of need that you are most passionate about meeting, and then all you need to do is decide whether your donation is a once-only or a recurring gift. Thank you for your partnership to share a hope more powerful than poverty!

You can:
- Give to Critical Needs
- Sponsor a child