To help the government in its efforts to improve the chances of survival, development and growth of children in India, the IKEA Foundation has contributed Euro 60 million for UNICEF's programmes.
One grant of Euro 39.5 million will help infants and mothers to reduce mortality and malnutrition rates across 13 states, the UNICEF said.
The second grant of Euro 20.7 million will enable children across 10 states to receive quality education and benefit from a government scheme that provides a safe environment for children living in difficult circumstances, it said.
The IKEA Foundation is UNICEF's biggest corporate donor globally. Since 2002, UNICEF programmes funded by the IKEA Foundation have impacted the lives of over 74 million people living in 15 states in India.
"Five million infants and five million mothers in marginalised communities can receive better access to health, nutrition, water and sanitation services and 7 million more children can continue to go to school and receive a quality education," said Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director.
India accounts for more than 20 per cent of the child deaths and 38 per cent of the chronically undernourished children in the world. This is largely due to a lack of access to good quality, essential health services, and insufficient nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene services for children under two and their mothers.
In India, more than 80 million children drop out before completing eight years of schooling and over eight million children are out of school, a UNICEF statement said.
The contribution brings IKEA Foundation's total investment in UNICEF's work in India to Euro 158 million and aims at achieving results for children by 2018.
