The Child Health Site Lets Internet Users Save Children's Lives

With a free click, visitors to The Child Health Site give vital health services to children in need, helping to protect them from AIDS and other preventable childhood diseases, correct cureable blindness and provide prostheses to young amputees, thanks to support from site sponsors.

SEATTLE -- The Child Health Site (www.thechildhealthsite.com) came to life yesterday, launched by The Hunger Site Network, a family of cause-related Web sites where Internet users make a difference through simple online activities, including the popular The Breast Cancer Site and the award-winning The Hunger Site. With a simple click on a button, visitors to www.thechildhealthsite.com help prevent childhood diseases and blindness, and aid young amputees, thanks to support from site sponsors.

This new activism site addresses the fact that over 200,000 children die every week from preventable causes, and many millions more suffer from treatable diseases and curable blindness or are injured in landmine and other crippling accidents. People concerned with the well-being of these children can click on the "Help a Child" button once a day to make health services and lifesaving treatments possible for them.

"The Hunger Site Network is extremely pleased to put the power of the Internet to work to help the millions of children whose basic needs are not being met," said Tim Kunin, co-owner of the family of cause-related Web sites. "Every child deserves a happy, healthy life. The Child Health Site lets everyone play a part in changing the sad realities and severe health threats faced by children living in poverty. Every click counts."

The Child Health Site's sponsors, Coldwater Creek, 50 Ways to Save our Children and Give for Kids, cover the cost of the care provided to children. Money generated through their sponsorship goes to Mercy Corps, Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, Helen Keller Worldwide and Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

These charities use the funds to provide six-month doses of vitamin A to prevent serious childhood diseases, emergency re-hydration formula for infants with severe diarrhea and vomiting (a leading cause of infant deaths), HIV/AIDS test kits for pregnant women (to significantly reduce the chance of mother-to-child transmission of HIV), eye surgeries to cure blindness caused by trachoma or cataracts, and custom-made prosthetics (usually a foot or a leg) for child landmine victims.

"Mercy Corps is thrilled to be a part of The Child Health Site," said Dan O'Neill, Mercy Corps President and Co-Founder. "So many children suffer needlessly in our world, and this new Web site will provide real help and hope to kids in need around the world."

Funding from the site helps an average of more than 1,000 children every day. Visitors can access the site directly at www.thechildhealthsite.com, or by clicking the blue tab at the top of The Hunger Site (www.thehungersite.com).

The Child Health Site is built on the same model as The Hunger Site, where more than 200 million visitors have funded in excess of 300 million cups of food for the hungry by clicking on the "Give Free Food" button.

ABOUT THE HUNGER SITE NETWORK

The Hunger Site Network (www.thehungersite.com) is a family of cause-related Web sites that enable Internet users to make a difference for important causes at no cost to them. With The Child Health Site (www.thechildhealthsite.com) as its newest addition, the group is owned and operated by CharityUSA and includes The Hunger Site, The Breast Cancer Site, The Rainforest Site, The Animal Rescue Site, GreaterGood.com and EcologyFund.com.

These sites allow visitors to participate daily in worldwide efforts to end hunger, preserve endangered habitat, provide food to abandoned or neglected animals and reduce the number of breast cancer deaths.