What can I do? |
Health and Education for all
I help parents to see that to educate a girl is to educate an entire nation. That's why I fight to get girls into school. I want to see them do something with their minds.
Balkissa, Teacher, Mali
Every day in developing countries, teachers, doctors and nurses are changing people's lives. People like Balkissa, all working against the odds to provide quality education and decent health care.
But millions of people are still missing out:
- 80 million children can't go to school
- Every day 1,400 women dies needlessly in pregnancy and child birth
This has to change.
What we are calling for
We are demanding an end to the scandal that denies millions of people the right to an education and health care – effectively deepening poverty and causing suffering on an unimaginable scale.
The world needs free public health care and education. The world needs people like Emilien, a doctor in Mali who is helping change the lives of his patients:
We've eradicated meningitis and whooping cough in my village, and you can count the number of measles cases on one hand. I know change is possible - that's what motivates me and gives me hope.
Emilien, Doctor, Mali
If one person can make a difference, imagine what six million could do.
Read the stories of five people working for health and education for all.
How you can help
The world needs six million more well-trained and well-paid teachers, doctors and nurses for poor countries. And to make this happen, the world needs you.
Oxfam supporters are crucial in the fight for health and education. By pledging your support you will be joining people like Emilien and Balkissa. You will be bringing your voice to a global movement and sending a clear message to world leaders that change is possible.
Health and education success
In 2005, 40 million people campaigned against poverty as part of the Make Poverty History campaign.
More than half a million people got behind us in the run-up to the 2007 G8 summit.
As a result, rich countries promised an extra $50 billion in aid every year by 2010, and pledged to cancel most of the debts of 42 poor countries.
Where these promises have been met, lives have changed. In Zambia for instance, people no longer have to pay for health care, because of debt cancellation and an increase in aid.
This is great news. But many poor countries are still waiting for what they were promised.
What now
We must keep the pressure on governments to spend more on health and education, and to spend it better.
Across the world campaigners are coming together to demand change and to challenge governments when they fail to support public services.
Help us to keep up this momentum, to continue to build worldwide movements – and make sure world leaders deliver what’s needed.
Related links
- Sign the '6 Million More' pledge
- Health and education: people who make it happen
- Easy guide to health
- Easy guide to education
