Vatican official pleads with countries to protect children from economic crisis

Geneva, Switzerland, Jun 4, 2009 / 18:02 pm

The president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, is calling for a “common code of ethics” between rich and poor countries to prevent the economic crisis from affecting aid programs, whose direct recipients are defenseless children and other members of the community who are most in need.
 
In a message to the 62nd World Health Assembly taking place in Geneva, the archbishop pointed out, “We cannot allow these defenseless children, their parents and other adults of the poorest communities of the world to be more and more vulnerable due to the global economic crisis that is fed extensively by selfishness and greed.”
 
The archbishop said the crisis is leading to the cancellation of many aid programs for developing countries.  “This will dramatically endanger their health care systems, which are in collapse because of the strong impact of endemic, epidemic and viral illnesses,” he warned.
 
Archbishop Zimowski said the deficiencies in the health care system have repercussions for the development of children, who do not reach their full potential due to the vast differences that exist.
 
For this reason, he called for “decisive action” aimed at preventing illness and curing children, using all the latest discoveries in medicine and the best hygienic and sanitary conditions.