ELIMINATE

Kiwanis International teamed up again with UNICEF to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) from the face of the Earth. A painful and deadly disease, MNT disproportionately affects areas where poverty, lack of education and inadequate health infrastructure make unhygienic birth practices more common. In 2010, Kiwanis launched The ELIMINATE Project, a global campaign to eliminate MNT by supporting UNICEF’s efforts to administer vaccines and promote clean delivery and umbilical cord care practices. Our Club continues to collect donations at our weekly meetings for the ELIMINATE program to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. Since Kiwanis joined the fight against MNT, newborn deaths from tetanus have dropped 57%, according to the World Health Organization. Of the 39 priority countries assessed to have more than one case of neonatal tetanus per 1,000 live births in 2010, 27 have since achieved MNT elimination. The Kiwanis Children’s Fund continues to work with UNICEF to help complete its work in the 12 countries where MNT remains a threat. During the period 2011-2020, the Kiwanis family raised more than US $119 million.