The ideal situation, of course, would be one where the family could attain levels of sufficiency at the household level and have a surplus for market, thus enabling the family to have some steady income. It is also of vital importance, of course, to ensure that mothers are sensitive to a quality diet for the entire family. We must, therefore, keep our eyes on this goal as planners and implementors. If we support communities and families in this manner, realising that the family is the first line of defence in child survival efforts, then I am confident we will make steady progress in breaking the vicious circle that surrounds our children and destroys them. One cannot leave this subject, however, without mentioning the importance of peace in our countries.
Civil conflicts continue to complicate and destroy all our efforts to eradicate hunger and disease.
Experts have stated that our era is the period when more people will die of famine than in any previous century. There are, of course, other causes of hunger and famine, but the main cause of famines today is wars. Wars disrupt populations and patterns of planting and harvesting, which are essential for fruitful agriculture. The ultimate irony is that it is the vulnerable poor who are most often affected because they are already hard-put to survive with their meagre resources and harsh environmental challenges. Their children, who are Africa's majority, are the first to die in these situations.