95
Good Practice
Human Rights
Global Compact International Yearbook 2013
The numbers cannot be ignored. Each
year, more than 1million children under
the age of five die from complications
associated with diarrhea.
Burkina Faso: Aim to treat 7 million
cases of diarrhea by 2015
Sadly, nearly one in five children born in
Burkina Faso does not see his or her fifth
birthday. The project in Burkina Faso will
scale-up the use of zinc supplementa-
tion and oral rehydration salts to treat
childhood diarrhea across the country.
The project will aim to treat more than
7
million cases of diarrhea in children
under the age of five over the next three
years and train healthcare workers and
caregivers on the proper treatment of
diarrhea with zinc and ORS.
Project components include increas-
ing knowledge and awareness so that
more caregivers, health practitioners,
and community members recognize the
importance of treating diarrhea with zinc
and ORS. ZACH will work with all levels
of government to help ensure the avail-
ability of supplies and treatment that
is affordable for families, communities,
and the wider health system.
Ethiopia: Aim to treat 6.5 million
cases of diarrhea by 2015
The project in Ethiopia is focused on
increasing awareness of diarrhea as a
serious childhood illness, as well as in-
creasing awareness that zinc and ORS
are the treatment of choice.
Currently, just over a third of children
with diarrhea who are taken for treat-
ment at a health post or clinic in that
country receive oral rehydration salts,
and zinc treatment is close to zero. Yet,
providing both forms of treatment not
only helps children recover from diar-
rhea faster, but can help save their lives.
The ZACH Ethiopia project is expected to
treat 6.5 million episodes of diarrhea in
children under the age of five by 2015.
Diarrhea is one of the diseases targeted
in Ethiopia’s National Child Survival
Strategy, which the ZACH project will
support. The project aims to make the
management of childhood diarrhea a
key part of Ethiopia’s efforts to reduce
child mortality.
ZACH expands with a new
partnership in India
In April 2013, Teck announced a new
partnership with UNICEF Canada to help
save the lives of children in India. Nearly
one-quarter of all worldwide deaths of
children under the age of five occur in
India. Many of these children die from a
preventable cause–diarrhea. Currently,
less than 2 percent of children with diar-
rhea are treated with zinc and ORS – a
proven and effective form of treatment.
Teck and UNICEF Canada’s partnership
will improve child health in these states
of India – Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and
Madhya Pradesh – by improving access
to and use of zinc and ORS as therapeutic
treatments for diarrhea. The partnership
aims to save the lives of approximately
150,000
children from 2013 - 2017, and
50,000
lives annually by improving cov-
erage of effective diarrhea treatment
and strengthening healthcare systems
in three regions in India.
A simple solution to a global
problem
Since being launched in 2011, Teck’s Zinc
&
Health program has made significant
progress in improving distribution chan-
nels, raising awareness, and educating
others about the devastating effects of
zinc deficiency. The program focuses on
short- and long-term solutions organ-
ized around five pillars: Therapeutic
Zinc, Zinc Supplementation, Advocacy
and Awareness, Food Fortification, and
Crop Nutrition.
To learn more about Teck’s Zinc & Health
program, visit
www.zincsaveslives.com
or follow @ZincSavesLives on Twitter.
Zinc is fundamental for human health
It is crucial for growth and brain development and helps fight dangerous infec-
tions, especially in children. Sadly, zinc deficiency affects 2 billion people world-
wide and contributes to the death of nearly 450,000 children under five each
year. It costs less than $0.50 for a 10 - 14 day course of zinc treatment and oral
rehydration salts to treat acute diarrhea, and ultimately save a child’s life. Zinc
treatment has been recognized as a cost-effective solution for treating acute diar-
rhea by the international community, including the World Health Organization and
Copenhagen Consensus.
As Canada’s largest diversified resource company and one of the world’s largest
producers of zinc, Teck recognizes the role we can play in finding solutions to the
global issue of zinc deficiency. We believe in strategic community investments
that make a difference and are related to our core business. Our Zinc & Health
programs are active in communities where zinc deficiency is a major issue. In
2011,
Teck launched the Zinc & Health program to raise awareness and contribute
to short- and long-term solutions to zinc deficiency worldwide. Our involvement
with the UN Global Compact has fostered the partnerships needed with multilat-
eral organizations, businesses, NGOs, and governments to advance Zinc & Health.
Through our Zinc & Health program, we are proud to be working toward the
health-related UN Millennium Development Goals.