Devastating UNICEF report. “2030. 69 million children will die” – Polish Radio

The organization published on Tuesday its latest report “The State of the World’s Children.”

 

UNICEF indicates that since 1990. Managed to achieve significant progress in saving children’s lives and increase the number of children covered by the education system. Global mortality rates of children under 5 years of age decreased by more than half. The number of people in the world living in extreme poverty is almost half less than in the 90s of the last century.

 

However, as the UNICEF, this progress is neither equal nor fair. The poorest children are two times more likely to malnutrition and death before the age of 5 years than their best-off counterparts. For almost the entire territory of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, children of women who have no education are three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday than those born to women with secondary education. The girls from the poorest homes are twice as likely as married off as children than girls from the richest households.

 

UNICEF estimates that anywhere prospect is not as bleak as in sub-Saharan Africa, where at least 247 million children (two to three) live in poverty. They are deprived of what gives them the ability to survival and development. According to the report, if current trends do not change, by 2030. Almost half of the 69 million children under 5 years of age who die from diseases that can prevent, will be lived in sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, in this region of the world will be living more than half of the 60 million children of school age to still be outside the education system. 9 out of 10 children living in extreme poverty will also inhabit sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Despite the fact that education plays a unique role in equalizing opportunities, since 2011. Increased number of children who are not covered by the education system. However, a large portion of the children who go to school, misses the basic knowledge. Today, about 124 million children do not attend school, and nearly two in five children who finish primary school, has not learned to read, write or perform simple arithmetic.

 

UNICEF in its report indicates that investment in disadvantaged children can have immediate and long-term benefits.

 

The organization stresses that inequalities are neither inevitable nor impossible to overcome. The report presents the actions and measures that can help reduce inequality among children. These include: better data on the most vulnerable children, an integrated approach to the challenges faced by children, innovative ways of solving old problems, increased community involvement and more equitable investment.

 

– Denying hundreds of millions of children the possibility of a decent life threatens not only their future. Also threatens the future of the communities in which they live through the consolidation of the vicious circle of poverty – says Director General of UNICEF Anthony Lake.

 

He stresses that we have a choice: we can now invest in these children or to let our world has become a place even more uneven and fragmented.

 

The organization stresses that governments, donors, international organizations and the business world should increase efforts on behalf of children.

 

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