Ponder children instead of bickering, text burning

Eighty percent of the world’s 14 million refugees are women and children Re-reporting, editing by Carolyn Bennett

Eradicating extreme poverty continues to be one of the main challenges of our time…The Millennium Development Goals set time-bound targets by which progress in reducing income- poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter and exclusion — while promoting gender equality, health, education and environmental sustainability — can be measured. The Millennium Development Goals also embody basic human rights — the rights of each person on the planet to health, education, shelter and security. Though ambitious, they are feasible. [United Nations Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon, http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/bkgd.shtml].

“AGAINST ALL ODDS” leads this year’s “Progress for Children” report. In this foreword, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake tells a girl’s story.

A girl child born in one of the poorest places in the world, probably in sub-Saharan Africa—compared with a child growing up in one of the wealthiest countries—was 10 times likelier to die during the first month of her life. Compared with a child growing up in the richest quintile [upper fifth] of her own country:

• She was two times less likely to have been born to a mother who received antenatal care; three times less likely to have come into the world with a skilled attendant present.
• She was nearly two times less likely to be treated for pneumonia; about one-and-a-half times less likely to be treated for diarrhea – two of the biggest reasons she was also more than twice as likely to die within the first five years of life.
• She was nearly three times more likely to be underweight; twice as likely to be stunted.
• She was more than one-and-a-half times less likely to be vaccinated for measles; about half as likely to be treated for malaria or to sleep under an insecticide-treated net.
• She was around two thirds as likely to attend primary school; far less likely to attend secondary school than if she lived in a nation with greater resources.

Against all odds, she survived. But having survived, when her life is placed beside the life of a child in the richest quintile —

• She is three times likelier to marry during her adolescence
• More than two times less likely to know how to protect herself from HIV and AIDS
• More than 300 times likelier over the course of her lifetime — compared with a girl in an industrialized nation — to die during pregnancy and childbirth

The challenges she faces after surviving childhood have potential for deepening the spiral of despair and perpetuating the cycle of poverty that stacked overwhelming odds against her in the first place. This is the life of one child.

Every day approximately 24,000 children under the age of five perish. Millions more are subjected daily to the same deprivations, and worse — especially if they are girls. Especially if they suffer disabilities. Especially if they are from minority or indigenous groups.

UNICEF’s ‘Progress for Children’ report this year reveals that in the reach toward meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015, the very poor are falling farther and farther behind.

• Compared with the richest 20 percent of households, mortality rates for children under the age of five are, on average, more than twice as high for the poorest 20 per cent of households.
• The poorest children are twice as likely to be underweight.
• Girls still have the hardest time receiving an education, particularly at the secondary level.

The report finds that while most developing countries are steadily advancing toward the MDGs, many sub-Saharan Africa and South Asian countries among developing countries are not advancing toward the MDGs.

Regions of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia [areas of conflict and invasion, exploitation, plunder and occupation] contain more than three-quarters of the 100 million primary school-aged children not attending school. These regions also have the highest rates of child marriage, the lowest level of birth registration, and the most limited health care coverage.

At greatest risk are orphaned children, children with disabilities, children from ethnic minorities, and exploited and trafficked children.

Rural disparities, deepening poverty

Of the 884 million people without access to improved drinking water sources worldwide, 84 percent live in rural areas. Between urban and rural populations, disparities persist.

Other critical factors obstructing the reach of assistance for the very poor are increasingly challenging humanitarian environments, climate change, global financial crises, rapid urbanization.

In the year 2000, world leaders adopted the UN Millennium Declaration committing their nations to make the world a more equitable place and setting out a series of time-bound targets known as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Every year, UNICEF’s ‘Progress for Children’ report monitors progress towards these targets.

Sources and notes
UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake in foreword to “Progress for Children” report
“‘Progress for Children’ report sheds new light on achieving Millennium Development Goals, Focus on equity” (Chris Niles), http://www.unicef.org/childsurvival/index_55896.html


Report
PROGRESS FOR CHILDREN: Achieving the MDGs with Equity, Number 9, September 2010, Published by UNICEF-Division of Communication, 3 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA, Website: www.unicef.org, Email: pubdoc@unicef.org
http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/Progress_for_Children-No.9_EN_081710.pdf


Millennium Declaration
The historic promise made by 189 world leaders, signatories of the Millennium Declaration at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, agreed to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are an eight-point road map with measurable targets and clear deadlines for improving the lives of the world’s poorest people. World leaders have agreed to achieve the MDGs by 2015.


UN Millennium Development Goals
MDG 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
MDG 2: Achieve universal primary education
MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
MDG 4: Reduce child mortality
MDG 5: Improve maternal health
MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
MDG 8: Promote global partnership
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/global.shtml
http://www.endpoverty2015.org/about


UNICEF
The United Nations in December 1946 created the UN Children’s Fund (or United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund). After World War II, European children were facing famine and disease and UNICEF provided food, clothing and health care for these children. In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the UN.


Today UNICEF works through country programs and National Committees in 190 countries and is part of the Global Movement for Children – a broad coalition dedicated to improving the life of every child. UNICEF upholds the Convention on the Rights of the Child and works to assure equality for those who are discriminated against, girls and women in particular. UNICEF also works for the Millennium Development Goals and for the progress promised in the United Nations Charter [http://www.unicef.org/about/who/index_introduction.html].