Vermont Joins Local Coalitions Across America on Campaign to Improve Child Health and Survival Worldwide; Re-Issued Release to Include Additional Partners

Vermont Joins Local Coalitions Across America on Campaign to Improve Child Health and Survival Worldwide; Re-Issued Release to Include Additional Partners

COLCHESTER, Vt., Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- A coalition of local media, community and health organizations, universities, and faith-based institutions in Vermont have joined with 30 other communities across the country in an effort to increase awareness of the 11 million children who die each year worldwide (pbs.org/rxforsurvival/campaign).

As part of WGBH/Boston and Vulcan Productions' Rx for Child Survival(TM), a nationwide mobilization campaign created by WGBH/PBS Boston and Vulcan Productions, Vermont Public Television (VPT) and other area organizations will launch its public outreach campaign on Nov. 15 with a special event in its Colchester studio. The evening of discussion and dialogue on key issues around child health and survival will be moderated by Susan Dentzer, Health Correspondent for the PBS program NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and will include a distinguished panel of public and global health experts.

Additional campaign events will take place across the state in the spring of 2006, when the PBS series is scheduled for re-broadcast. Partners participating in the campaign include Senator James Jeffords, Parent to Parent of Vermont, Population Media Center, Rutland Regional Medical Center, University of Vermont College of Medicine/Vermont Children's Hospital, Vermont Children's Forum, Vermont Department of Libraries, and the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program.

Other organizations working with the Global Health Council in community mobilization efforts include the United Nations Vermont Chapter, St. Michael's College and the Vermont Department of Health; along with area faith-based organizations such as the Daybreak Community Church, Malletts Bay Congregational, United Church of Colchester, Islamic Society of Vermont, Holy Cross, and St. Andrews Episcopal Church.

Vermont's political leaders have long been supportive of both global health and children's issues. For many years, Senator James Jeffords has been an advocate for children's health and special education, and Senator Patrick Leahy has led efforts in Washington to increase support and assistance for global health and development programs.

The Rx for Child Survival campaign was created by WGBH and Vulcan Productions to coincide with their far-reaching multimedia project Rx for Survival-A Global Health Challenge(TM) anchored by a six-part television series airing November 1-3, 2005 on PBS stations across the country. Major funding for the project was provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Merck Company Foundation.

http://www.pbs.org/rxforsurvival/campaignhttp://www.globalhealth.org/http://www.pbs.org/http://www.vulcanproductions.com/

CONTACT: Mariah Richardson-Osgood of Global Health Council +1-202-833-5900, x3213, mrichardson-osgood@globalhealth.org; or Local Coalition: Elizabeth Ottinger, +1-802-654-3688, eottinger@vpt.org

Source: Global Health Council

CONTACT: Mariah Richardson-Osgood of Global Health Council +1-202-833-5900, x3213, mrichardson-osgood@globalhealth.org; or Local Coalition: Elizabeth Ottinger, +1-802-654-3688, eottinger@vpt.org

Web site: http://www.globalhealth.org/ http://www.vpt.org/ http://www.pbs.org/ http://www.vulcanproductions.com/

------- Profile: Ent