$500,000 grant to Congo

An investment of $500,000 (£305,560) to the Republic of the Congo has been announced by Unicef.

The health group is giving the funds in order to fight problems such as social protection within the country.

Nutrition, health and education initiatives will take up the bulk of the money, which has been prioritised due to the detrimental effects of the world economic crisis on the Republic of the Congo.

Ann M Veneman, executive director of Unicef, revealed the grant while on a visit to the African nation and put the focus upon maternal health.

She said: "Women and children are the most affected by poverty.

"In Congo-Brazzaville, one in eight children die before their fifth birthday, largely from preventable causes. The country also has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the region."

A scheme called Life Savers that runs across the country was visited by Veneman. The project provides advice such as sleeping under mosquito bednets in order to protect against malaria.

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