A man who has dedicated his life to helping children around the world has been knighted in the New Year's Honours.

Dr Richard Jolly, a former deputy director of the United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF, has been made a knight of the order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) for his long and distinguished contribution to international development.

He said: "I was excited and delighted to receive the honour, particularly as I worked with the UN in New York for 20 years so it is nice to think international work is recognised.

"I had to look KCMG up in an encyclopedia because I wasn't sure exactly what it was but I was pleased to discover it has Sussex connections as it was founded in 1818 by the Prince Regent."

The Hove-born economist has worked to help eradicate hunger, poverty and disease in the developing world since 1956 when he first travelled to Kenya, Uganda and Zambia.

He is most proud of the fact his work has always been with the human side of international development, tackling education and health issues as well as child mortality rates in some of the world's poorest countries.

Dr Jolly, who as a student crossed the Alps on an elephant called Jumbo to see how Hannibal did it and to raise money to sponsor a year in England for a UN refugee, spent years in Africa working towards improving the conditions for women and children.

He earned the name Bwana Wa Wanake meaning 'of the women' for his ground-breaking work.

He said: "It is my belief that there is much more to be positive and optimistic about in the developing world than people realise.

"In 1982, 15 million children were dying every year worldwide - that's 40,000 a day - today the figure is about eight million which is an enormous reduction in just 20 years and considering the population of children worldwide has risen by a third in that time it represents a halving of child mortality.

"The number of illiterates in the world also fell in the 1990s for the first time ever, literally since the days of Adam and Eve, which is a remarkable achievement.

"I am proud that UNICEF aims for progress, we didn't just talk about getting things done we worked with people in more than 100 countries and saw it happen.

"It is also the only part of the UN which raises money from ordinary people; $300 million (dollars) a year is donated."

Dr Jolly, son of Arthur Jolly a famous Freeman of Hove and chairman of Hove Magistrates, became engaged to his future wife Alison in Madagascar in 1963.

He says it was his father, who also founded Hove Rotary Club and Presbyterian Church, who gave him a sense of service.

Dr Jolly, who lives in Southover High Street, Lewes, is currently an emeritus fellow of the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Sussex where he is working on a history of the UN.

He is due to take on the chairmanship of the United Nations Association in the UK this year and works on a voluntary basis as a trustee of the charity Oxfam.