World Population Awareness

Children

April 12, 2008

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Children in Poor Countries Need Help .   2.2 billion of the world's people are under 18 years old, with 2 billion from developing countries, according to UN University Vice Rector Ramesh Thakur and UNICEF Japan Director Manzoor Ahmed. 30,500 children under 5 years old die every day of preventable diseases such as diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition. Every month, 50,000 children under 15 are infected with AIDS. Of all children in developing countries, 20% of those ages 5 to 15 are engaged in child labor in hazardous and harmful conditions, 30% under 5 are underweight, nearly 40% suffer from stunted growth, and over 50% are malnourished. Foreign aid dropped to a historic low in 1998 of 0.2% of the GPD of the OECD countries, well below the internationally agreed target of 0.7%. Ironically, income jumped and aid declined by 30 percent from 1992 to 1997. More children today live in poverty than 10 years ago, and more children find themselves in a more violent and unstable environment   December 27, 1999   International Herald Tribune 009071

Botswana: Domestic Violence Bill Sails Through Parliament.   Parliament passed the Domestic Violence Bill presented by the MP for Kweneng South, from Gladys Kokorwe as a private member. The proposed law is to give protection to people who are abused at home and it received overwhelming support. Children who are brought up in abusive families end up being abusers. Once the bill is law, there will be a need to educate members of the public about it. Once the bill becomes law, a police officer can accompany an abused person to his or her home to take his or her clothing to seek refuge elsewhere. An applicant may make an application for an interim or restraining order. An interim order may direct a police officer or deputy sheriff to remove the applicant from the residence. The court may authorise arrest of the respondent where it is satisfied that the applicant or child is under imminent danger.   February 19, 2008   Mmegi Online 022763

The State of the World's Children 2008   The State of the World's Children 2008 assesses the state of child survival and primary health care for mothers, newborns and children today. These issues serve as sensitive barometers of a country's development and well being and as evidence of its priorities and values. Investing in the health of children and their mothers is a human rights imperative and one of the surest ways for a country to set its course towards a better future. Follow the link to the full report (a PDF file)   January 29, 2008   UNICEF 022619

Africa;: Children Lose Out as NGOs Mushroom.   A conference was organised by the Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI), and explored ways to ensure the most effective use of resources in child HIV management. Delegates called for new ideas to deal with the duplication of services and gaps in HIV service delivery. Only 1 in 10 children needing antiretroviral treatment were receiving it, while those who had lost both parents were less likely to attend school. Cases of children who have no access to help for lack of information are too many and through ignorance of their entitlements, lose out on services to wily NGOs. Inadequate resources, poor coordination and a shortage of skilled workers in most sub-Saharan African countries have denied children critical services. The slow response to children's needs is the top-down approaches favoured by most African states. They contain loopholes that need to be sealed if children are to access the services they were entitled to. In Zambia, caregivers are trained at the grassroots and equipped with knowledge and skills. A Kenyan delegate said duplicated and overlapping agendas, combined with reluctance by some organisations to collaborate, had deprived children of humanitarian. There are cases where HIV programmes have not been implemented because organisations have clashed over implementation or budget. An Ethiopian representative said proliferating community-based organisations had given rise to NGOs that abused donor funds. Sub-Saharan Africa had two million children under 15 living with HIV in 2005, while about 12 million children under the age of 17 had lost one or both parents to AIDS.   February 19, 2007   Africa News Service 020543

Girls at U.N. Meeting Urge Global Action.   More than 200 young people attended a meeting of the U.N. Status of Women, which is focusing on discrimination and violence against girls. The most important message is that governments should ensure that every working child gets a free education. Golfidan, 18, of Jordan, described the discrimination against girls in her country and the shortage of programs that focus on girls' participation. One girl urged the international community to bring those responsible for crimes against girl soldiers in Congo to justice. So far only one Congolese warlord has been ordered to stand trial before the war crimes tribunal on a charge of sending children into battle. All the girls out there should know that they have their own rights and it is time to stand up and speak out.   March 03, 2007   Associated Press 020341

India;: Child Marriage Ban on the Rocks.   New Delhi: The Centre has decided not to declare child marriages void, as women's groups say "social traditions" are propping up the practice. The law is now more of a call to the community for "restraint". When the Prevention of Child Marriage Act replaces the Child Marriage (Restraint) Act of 1929, officials would be appointed with the sole job of preventing child marriages. Women activists are urging the government to "abolish" child marriage, so that unions involving under-18 girls or under-21 men become invalid. But the conservatives believe this will be seen as "divorce", which carries a stigma in Indian society and will make it difficult for the girl to get married later. The act is likely to allow a child bride or groom to seek divorce on the ground of being married while underage. The current law is silent on whether child marriages are valid, though it prescribes punishment for the groom, the families and the priest. The UN says 50% of Indian girls are married before 18. One reason for India's high maternal mortality rate is child marriage, activists say. Young girls get pregnant at an age when it poses a health risk. Child marriage also robs girls of education. A UNDP report looked at child marriage as an indicator of the extent of violence that exists in that society.   October 22, 2006   Telegraph 019104

Violence Against Children Widely Accepted: UN Study.   Violence against children is accepted as normal around the world, and at least 106 countries allow physical punishment in schools. About 147 countries have not banned the punishment of children in care settings and up to 275 million children witness domestic violence annually. Violence against children is a violation of their human rights, a disturbing reality of our societies. It is estimated that in 2002 some 150 million girls and 73 million boys were subjected to forced sexual intercourse and other forms of violence, while 53,000 were killed. ILO data showed that in 2004 there were 218 million child laborers of whom 126 million did hazardous work. WHO estimates up to 140 million women and girls have undergone genital mutilation.
Ralph says: I do not believe that we should include school discipline in this category. Many years ago when I went to a "boys only" school, caning was an accepted punishment and was in fact preferred to other punishments such as additional sessions in class or more homework. In those days it could be applied by teachers as well as other boys, (prefects). Karen Gaia says: In same cases a child has a choice between working or starvation. This should not be considered violence. Also, my parents used spanking occasionally. I do not consider it violence. This should not be lumped in with boxing a child's ears or other 'violent' punishments. Not being allowed to watch TV is a punishment, but can hardly be called violence. Also, we in the U.S. practice circumcision. Should we consider this genital mutilation? The U.N. report would be much more believable if it refrained from lumping every adverse action under the category of violence.   October 12, 2006   Reuters 018988

Nairobi: Fighting for Children.   Since January this year, 1,179 children have been violated in Nairobi alone. This has prompted a massive campaign in Kenya to counter the vice. The violence ranged from physical to sexual abuse, abduction and neglect. There were 68 cases of sexual violence against children in Nairobi in May while 77 children were violated in July and August. To fight back, the Ministry of Home Affairs, has embarked on a two-year campaign to mobilise communities. According to UNICEF, 25% of girls and between 12 and 24 lose their virginity through force. Almost half of all girls report being victims of violence. The findings indicate an increase in violence against children with an increase of about 50% compared to last year. Most victims are children below 15 and 90% are girls. The ages of victims are getting lower and lower, it is not uncommon to find a child of barely three months has been sexually abused." More boys are now being sexually violated by women. 70% of the abuse cases occur in the family and include burning, scalding, biting and violent shaking. 22% which involved excessive punishment, was in schools and perpetrated by teachers. The abusers are often the people who should be their protectors, family members, teachers and religious leaders. Girls who witness their mothers being abused are more likely to accept violence as the norm in a marriage. Women and girls from Garissa who had been displaced by the recent drought are often attacked when collecting firewood and water. The vulnerability of girls increases their vulnerability to HIV/Aids and are six times more likely to contract HIV/Aids than boys of the same age. Evven though children remain the targets of violence many people feel powerless and unable to see the way forward. The situation is compounded by the fact that those who violate children are rarely brought to face justice. Today's child violator is not necessarily from a poor background. Many are educated and wealthy people, who can invent ingenious ways of covering up the crime. Many can also hire good lawyers to argue out their cases. But lingering myths surrounding violence against children remain the biggest stumbling block to fighting the vice. In reality, most children are violated by adults whom they know and trust. There is also the myth that children often lie about violence, which is false and misleading. The other fable is that children are always safe in groups. But this is not always true - young children have, for example, been sexually assaulted in nursery school while other adults and children were around. Risk factors include the emotional state of parents, lack of poor bonding between the child and their care-giver, family crisis and undesirable characteristics of the child among other things. The emotional state of parents could be due to depressive illness or extreme stress, parents might also have anti-social personalities or criminal tendencies. Unexpected pregnancies or closely spaced children may overwhelm the caregiver. Unwanted children also lead to children being victims of violence. The campaign aims to create awareness in a bid to counter the vice. The programme aims to create community protection centres, where support, advice, access to legal services and protection will be provided. Family members or close friends of the family commit 89% of sexual violations against children but simple and affordable solutions are within reach. The campaign has received support from the private sector, NGOs and civil society.   September 05, 2006   The Standard 018624

Children Deprived of Right to Protect Themselves Against HIV Says Report.   Educating young people about how HIV is transmitted, and telling them how to avoid infection is not enough. Adolescents in low income countries struggle between sexual abstinence, faithfulness, or condom use, and the social and economic realities that limit their choices. Most young girls in poor communities do not have the option to protect themselves through abstinence or condom use. They often have little choice about their partner or any influence on his faithfulness. Cultural norms force many girls into child marriages, while economic necessity forces others into trading sexual favours. In many societies, boys are under pressure to show their masculinity by being abusive and practicing unsafe sex. In Brazil, Plan works with adolescent boys to decrease violence and help them adopt safer sexual behaviour. Groups explore common beliefs and attitudes, for instance that sexual and reproductive health issues are women's concerns, and men have the right to multiple partners while women do not. At the outset opinions and perceptions reflect the prejudices of the macho culture, but by the end of the program many boys speak of how their behaviour has changed. Plan believes children should be in the driving seat of its responses to HIV. Children are in a position to bring about changes. Childhood is the time when attitudes are formed and behavioural patterns established. In the West African republic of Togo, young people told Plan that the main problem is poverty. Parents do not have enough money to send their children to school and need them to earn money. They force their daughters to get married, or work as a market trader or send their children abroad to do domestic work. Plan's response focuses on involving children and addressing their concerns. It abolishes the distinctions between HIV prevention, care of those infected, and measures to lessen the impact of the epidemic on communities. Plan says that in order to be effective programs for HIV prevention and care among children and young people should address the social, economic and cultural factors that underpin sexual behaviour. Meet the needs of the majority of children. Give young people an active role in determining priorities, and in implementing the response.   August 14, 2006   Plan International 018263

Anti-poverty Efforts Face Child Marriage Hurdle.   About 51 million girls and teens in developing countries are married and another 100 million will be married within the next 10 years. In parts of Ethiopia, Nigeria and India, over 40% of girls and young women are married by the time they are 15. More than 50% are married before 18 in Niger, Chad, Bangladesh, Mali, Nepal, Mozambique and Uganda. This year, the US provided $623 million to 16 of the 20 countries with the highest child marriage rates. Reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and eliminating the gender gap in education are all UN goals. Child marriage undermines these goals by increasing health risks and depriving girls of educational and economic opportunities. The International Child Marriage Prevention and Assistance Act calls on the U.S. State Department to integrate efforts to fight child marriage in its overall development assistance strategy. This would provide $60 million over the next three years to support community-based organizations in developing countries that fight child marriage. International human rights bodies and treaties, either discourage or prohibit marriage before 18. But child marriage is a cultural practice. Parents are aware that child marriage is illegal, but we need to understand the economic underpinnings of child marriage and create alternatives. Child marriage exists in industrialized countries, where it is linked with poverty. In the US teens can get married at 14 with parental consent in some states. Around 1% of U.S. teens between 15 and 17 have been married. However, teen marriage rates increased by nearly 50% during the 90s. Reasons include the impact of abstinence-until-marriage programs, welfare policies that promote marriage and the influx of immigrants. Over one-fifth of 20-year-old women in the US gave birth while still teens, those living in rural communities with high poverty rates and below-average education levels are most likely to become young mothers. Countries where child marriage is widespread tend to have high rates of poverty. One reason is that there are no prospects for education or employment. The more education a girl receives, the less likely she is to become a child bride. Teens under 15 are five times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than women in their 20s. Child brides face a higher risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Girls married before 18 were twice as likely to have suffered physical abuse or threats.   September 12, 2006   Womens Enews 018687

Children Slip Through Cracks of AIDS Efforts.   Dr. Kevin M. De Cock, who directs the WHO AIDS program, said that an estimated 2.3 million children 15 and under are infected with H.I.V., and 800,000 need antiretroviral drugs to stay alive. Only 60,000 to 100,000 are receiving therapy. Scale-up has so far left children behind. Fewer than 10% of pregnant women with H.I.V. in poor and middle-income countries are receiving the pills that can prevent the transmission of the AIDS virus to their newborns. Injecting drug users, particularly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia account for more than 70% of people infected with H.I.V., but about a quarter of those receiving treatment. Women in developing countries were receiving therapy in proportion to the female infection rate. But women's access to follow-up care could still be inhibited. Of the 38.6 million with H.I.V., about 6.8 million in low- and middle-income countries would be expected to die within two years without antiretroviral therapy. About 1.7 million are now receiving it, but for many it is coming too late. The one million receiving therapy in Africa is 10 times the number who were being treated in December 2003. The first million patients are the easiest to reach, because scale-up programs tend to start in cities. Reaching people in rural areas is a more difficult task. Delivering antiretrovirals requires trained health workers, and they are in short supply in many poor countries. Many critics said H.I.V. would develop a resistance to the drugs if people in poor countries did not take them as prescribed. WHO was watching for resistance and that the information would start to become available later this year. Proponents for wider availability of antiretroviral therapy say that AIDS drugs have saved more than three million years of life in the United States alone.   August 17, 2006   New York Times* 018467

500 Million Youths Live in Poor Conditions- UNFPA.   UNFPA said that more than 500 million young people between 15 and 24 years live on less than two dollars per day, while 96 million young women do not know how to read or write. The situation poses challenges to devise ways of reducing poverty and improve the well-being of young people. The key to promote social and economic growth to these young people is keeping girls in schools, building life, skills, delaying marriage and pregnancy until adulthood. Parents must give proper attention to the physical and spiritual upbringing of their children.   September 01, 2006   The Tide (Nigeria) 018570

Wars 'Robbing Youths of School'.   At least 43 million children are unable to go to primary school because of armed conflicts. Save the Children has launched a campaign aimed at pressuring world leaders to help deprived youths into formal education. Universal primary education by 2015 was one of the MDGs signed in 2000 by world leaders. Any efforts to increase children's education will end in failure if the millions living in conflict zones are not given the same opportunities as those in more peaceful areas. While the proportion of women and children among civilians injured or killed in war remains at approximately 80%, the amount of educational aid that reaches those caught up in conflict remains low. Few of the millions of children out of school will ever receive an education. The countries with the worst education records also have histories of conflict. In Somalia, more than 89% of children are not in school. In DR Congo, 35% of children attend school. In Chad, 41.7% of children are out of school. And in Nepal, almost 27% of children are not being educated. In Angola, as much as $180m is needed to achieve universal primary education by 2015. Major international aid donors and agencies are asked to prioritise education in times of conflict. Key demands include an emphasis on training teachers and improving standards, as well as ensuring that children and teachers are protected from armed violence.   September 12, 2006   BBC News 018713

Call to Fight HIV Risk in Young.   An estimated 1,800 children become infected with HIV every day because of exploitation and discrimination. Many young people were not able to choose safe sexual behaviour while 2.3 million children under 15 are living with HIV and many have no access to treatment. Plan has called for the education of children and adolescents to prevent the spread of Aids, prevention of parent-to-child transmission, and to support vulnerable children, including orphans. In the West African Republic of Benin, girls are harassed on their way to, from, and even in school. They are often pressured into having unprotected sex. Many more are so desperate they are forced to sell sex for the price of a meal. There are millions of sexually exploited children; girls whose older husbands are infected, or boys who are under pressure to practice unsafe sex. UNICEF said: "More must be done to reach the most vulnerable groups. Girls who are at risk of being trafficked are at particular risk of HIV infection. Education equips children with better negotiating skills. "Over 50 million children have lost their parents in sub-Saharan Africa. Many will likely be forced into child labour or the commercial sex trade." Plan wanted to ensure universal birth registration for all children orphaned by or living with AIDS, protection of inheritance, property rights for AIDS orphans and basic health care. The international community must address poverty and the denial of human rights.   August 01, 2006   BBC 018307

Iraq;: Insecurity, Under-funding Threaten Children's Health in Basra.   NGOs devoted to health issues in southern Iraq say that about 90 children have died in Basra due to a lack of medicine, more than twice as many as last year. There is a lack of essential supplies, especially intravenous infusions and blood bags. Antibiotics, a compound used in the treatment of parasite infection, special milk for dehydrated children, and almost all medical material for emergency conditions aren't available. Officials say they are struggling to acquire the required medicines, but their efforts were impeded by security issues and official corruption. They are going to conduct a thorough study on the cases. About 40 children per day had been admitted to the children's hospital in Basra since May, due to high temperatures and poor water quality. Some cholera cases have also been reported. About 16 new cancer and leukaemia cases have also been reported among children each month. If there was medicine, they would have been saved. Saving Children from War sent medicine worth 250,000 euros to the two hospitals specialising in child care in southern Iraq. Specialists also note an increase of cases of Kala Azar among children. This is transmitted by the sand fly, is a chronic and potentially fatal disease that preys on the internal organs. It can be cured if treated by Pentostam, but it can be fatal without treatment. Pentostam has not been available in southern Iraq for several months even on the black market. There are no reliable statistics on how many doctors, dentists, pharmacists and nurses have left the area, but data suggests that at least 200 have left since January. An average of 30 doctors and nurses per month have left Iraq after being targeted by criminal gangs. The emergency unit in the Teaching Hospital was closed for five months after a number of doctors were killed by attackers while working there. Now many doctors and nurses refuse to go to work. Nurses earning between US $150 and $200 per month say these salaries do not justify the tremendous risks they take. If salaries aren't increased, they will leave.   July 09, 2006   Irin News 018020

World Population Day Spotlights Young People.   World Population Day is focusing on young people threatened by illiteracy, poverty, the risks of pregnancy and childbirth and HIV/AIDS. An estimated three billion people, or nearly half the world's population, are under the age of 25. The number of young people entering productive ages is increasing and the number of dependent people, particularly children below 15 is decreasing, and that generates a window of opportunity where investment to increase increase the labor productivity is going to generate tremendous returns. The opportunities are tempered in many countries by the spread of HIV/AIDS, particularly in Africa where one of the highest threats that societies are facing is the spread of HIV. Kofi Annan's World Population Day message notes that youth today are more aware of the lives led by their counterparts around the world, and are demanding action to increase opportunities for all. Mr. Annan urged governments to invest in education and employment opportunities for young people.   July 11, 2006   Voice of America News 018033

Organic Food Fends Off Pesticides.   Researchers found that pesticide levels in children's bodies dropped to zero after a few days of eating organic produce and after they switch back to a conventional diet, the levels go up. But organic food is often more expensive than conventional food, and the health risks of the pesticides in question aren't clear. It has been difficult to figure out exactly how much pesticide residue children are exposed to. A new study examined pesticide levels in 110 children and only found one child who regularly ate organic food was pesticide-free. The study looked at two pesticides known as organophosphorus whose use in residential areas is banned, but they're still used by growers. In 2003, researchers recruited 23 children aged 3-11 and monitored levels of malathion and chlorpyrifos in their urine during a 15-day period in which they alternated between regular diets and organic products. The researchers found that the pesticide levels dropped immediately when the children started eating the organic foods. The staying power of the pesticides was relatively short. Scientists don't know exactly how the pesticides affect the body over time. High doses can cause serious symptoms because they are toxic to the nervous system and there is a suggestion that low doses can hurt the developing brain. Kids should eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, regardless of whether they are organically grown, because the benefits outweigh the risk, Graber said. Parents should not feed their children less nutritious foods out of fear of pesticides. Foods that are vulnerable to pesticide residue include strawberries, nectarines, peaches, apples, pears and cherries. Bananas and oranges aren't as vulnerable.   February 20, 2006   ABC News.com 016592

Another School Torched in Afghanistan.   Suspected Taliban rebels set ablaze a school in southern Afghanistan. Armed men stormed into the school and set fire to classrooms, burning chairs, desks and studying materials. Three of the classrooms were totally destroyed. The attack was blamed on remnants of the Taliban regime. At about the same time suspected militants blew up a primary school in a Pakistani tribal area just across the border. More than a dozen schools have been torched in the past two months in southern provinces of Afghanistan. Several teachers and education workers have also been killed. Most of the attacks have been blamed on the ultraconservative Islamic Taliban, who barred girls from going to school or working outside of the home. The rebuilding of the education sector is a key priority for the new government, where more than 70% of people aged over 15 are illiterate. About six million children are estimated to have enrolled in schools since the Taliban fell. About 60% of primary school age are still not attending lessons.   February 21, 2006   Agence France-Presse 016571

Malawi: Abuse of Women and Girls a National Shame.   Publicised cases of gender violence have raised concern in Malawi. A survey covering over a thousand school-age girls found that more than half had experienced some form of sexual abuse in schools. Urgent measures to curb violence against girls both at home and in schools were recommended. Of 1,496 respondents, 85.2% were attending school and 14.6% not, in nine districts across the country's three regions. Marriage, pregnancy and sexual abuse by schoolboys and teachers were the main reasons girls put forward for staying out of school. 90.2% were between 11 and 18 and the rest 18 years or older. Just over 94% had never been married, while 5% were married or cohabitating. Girls in schools were subjected to violence by male teachers, including sexual abuse, forced relationships, beatings and severe punishments. 5% said their private parts had been touched by teachers or schoolboys. The major perpetrators were fellow pupils, who committed 51.6% of all incidents. Friends accounted for 16%. Only 2% reported the abuse to the police, while 52.3% did not report the matter largerly beacuse they were embarrassed. President Bingu wa Mutharika warned all who committed violence against girls and women that his government would punish them. Minister of Information Patricia Kaliati stressed, "When a woman says, 'I do not want to have sex with you', it does not mean that you should beat her or force her. Government will not tolerate this kind of violence against women. Adult men are raping many children and they are given lenient punishments. We want this to come to an end." The situation in Malawi remains very serious, due to a combination of chronic poverty, bad weather, bad harvest, a high prevalence of HIV and an outbreak of cholera. About 40% of the population, 4.9 million people, are in need of food. Of these, one million are children younger than five years and pregnant women. 48% of children under five in Malawi are stunted; 5% are severely malnourished; 22% are underweight or malnourished.   February 01, 2006   IRIN News (UN) 016333

Scientists Debate Bill to Restrict Chemicals.   Scientists debated the health risks of two chemicals found in plastic baby products as California legislators consider a bill that would restrict one of the compounds, which has been shown in some studies to mimic female hormones and possibly interfere with boys' reproductive development. The bill would prohibit baby toys and feeding products from containing phthalates and bisphenol. No other legislative has restricted use of bisphenol A, which is considered an essential ingredient of polycarbonate. The bill has sparked a scientific debate, as well as lobbying by the plastics industry and environmentalists. If the Assembly doesn't approve the bill, the legislation will expire. Six scientists, including two sponsored by the plastics industry, testified at a joint hearing of two Assembly committees. Evidence has been mounting that phthalates and bisphenol A could be altering the hormones and harming the reproductive systems of babies, but the results are not conclusive, and some studies have been controversial. The compounds have been shown to mimic estrogen or block testosterone and feminize animals, the effects on humans are largely unknown. Industry scientists say California legislators would be acting with little evidence and would unnecessarily limit consumers' access to popular products. There is no evidence that any human has been harmed by use of these products. A reproductive biologist said the effects of low doses of bisphenol A, known as BPA, are clear as every aspect of maleness is disrupted. But a former EPA scientist told the legislators that most studies of bisphenol A have found no effects. In a published review Vom Saal reported that every test funded by industry showed no effects while more than 90% of the government-funded studies found effects. An EPA scientist said there is no debate that phthalates block male hormones, causing feminization of reproductive tracts in laboratory animals. Industry scientists said that the animal studies are conducted with much higher doses of phthalates than people are actually exposed to. Some phthalates, which are used to make plastic flexible, are banned or restricted by the European Union and at least 14 other nations, but they are not regulated in the United States. Toy sales amount to $7 billion in California. The Assembly bill would affect hundreds of companies and thousands of workers in California alone.   January 22, 2006   Los Angeles Times 016140

Children Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Reach.   UNICEF said that millions of children disappear from view when trafficked or forced to work in domestic servitude. Others are excluded from services and protections. Most are shut out from school, healthcare and other vital services. Without attention, millions will remain trapped and forgotten with devastating consequences for their long-term well-being and the development of nations. In the past, UNICEF has reported on how poverty, HIV/AIDS and armed conflict are undermining childhood itself. These factors, as well as weak governance and discrimination, deprive children of protection from abuse and exploitation, and exclude them from school, healthcare and other essential services. Children who are caught in armed conflict, are routinely subjected to rape and sexual violence and are being ignored. Every year, over half of all births in the developing world (excluding China) go unregistered and are not acknowledged as members of their society. For example, unregistered children are denied a place in school when birth certificates are required. Millions of orphans, street children, and children in detention are growing up without the care and protection of their parents or a family environment. Tens of millions of children spend a large portion of their lives on the streets. More than 1 million live in detention, awaiting trial for minor offenses. Many suffer gross neglect, violence, and trauma. Hundreds of thousands of children are caught up in armed conflict as combatants, messengers, porters, cooks, and sex slaves for armed groups. Over 80 million girls across the developing world will be married before they turn 18. Children are exploited, shut away by their abusers and held back from school and essential services. Some 8.4 million children work in child labour, including prostitution and debt bondage, where children are exploited in slave-like conditions to pay off a debt. Nearly 2 million are used in the commercial sex trade, where they routinely face sexual and physical violence. Millions are trafficked into underground and illegal worlds where they are forced into dangerous and degrading forms of work, including prostitution. Discrimination shuts millions of girls out of school and blocks critical services for children from ethnic minorities and indigenous groups. An estimated 150 million children live with disabilities - many without education, healthcare, and nurturing support because of discrimination. National laws must match international commitments to children, and legislation that fosters discrimination must be abolished. Laws to prosecute those who harm children must be consistently enforced. Reform is urgently required in many countries and communities to remove barriers for children who are excluded from essential services. Actions can be taken by society, donors and the media to prevent children from falling between the cracks. Governments, families and communities must do more to prevent abuse and exploitation from happening in the first place.   January 01, 2006   UNICEF 015928

Poverty Kills 12 Million Under Five Children Annually.   Over 12 million children in developing countries under the age of five die annually because of poverty that remains the biggest killer as people could not afford health care and social amenities. The gap between rich and poor continues to widen. While life expectancy in Zambia is 50 years while people in developed countries live up to 82 on average. Babies are not vaccinated, and clean water and sanitation are not provided. With 70% of the world's poor being women, they are more susceptible to HIV infection.   December 05, 2005   Globe and Mail 015840

Uganda's Civil War Targets Children .   The war in northern Uganda has rebels abducting boys to replenish their ranks and forcing girls to become sex slaves. Other children are abandoned by parents who are too poor to keep their families together. Brutal tactics have forced more than 1.5 million people to take refuge in crowded camps. Food and health care provided by aid agencies mean survival but disease and hunger kill 1,000 people a week more than would otherwise be expected to die. Fearing rebel raids, tens of thousands leave their small huts and walk into urban centers every night to sleep. The insurgents have seized at least 25,000 children during the conflict. There are few conflicts where few people have had such a huge impact on so many, with one and a half million people still in camps. The cultlike Lord's Resistance Army is led by Joseph Kony, described as "erratic and vicious." During 19 years of war, his fighters have grown notorious. As families disintegrate, children are left with guardians who are either too sick, too old or too overwhelmed to offer protection or emotional support. Poor parents force young girls into early marriage to reduce the number of mouths they have to feed. Some adolescent girls accept sexual advances to satisfy the needs that parents or guardians are unable to address. This is a generation growing up without the support, love and care of the family.   December 22, 2005   Associated Press 015979

Millions of Children Invisible: UNICEF .   UNICEF said one-third of the estimated 150 million children born worldwide each year were not registered. Children not registered at birth may never officially exist, making it easy for governments to ignore them. It is estimated that 1.8 million children entered the sex industry, 5.7 million were sold into slavery and 1.2 million were trafficked each year. AIDS orphans and those forced into early marriages accounted for millions of children who simply disappeared. Sex trafficking was an increasing phenomenon and a global problem - not just in the developing world, because the demand often comes from the developed world. Governments had the primary function of monitoring their own populations and ensuring that they enforced their own basic laws. Civil society and communities have a huge role to play.   December 14, 2005   Reuters 015898

World May Miss Child Development Goal by 30 Yrs: UN.   The U.N. Children's Fund said the world would miss by 30 years the MDG of cutting child deaths by two-thirds unless nations stepped up efforts to reduce mortality. Progress on child survival so far is unacceptable. Seven of 60 nations with the highest under-five child mortality rate were on target. The MDG goal wants nations to reduce child mortality from 93 of every 1,000 children dying before five in 1990 to 31 in 2015. Thirty nine countries, including India, have made insufficient or no progress and 14 have seen increases in under-five mortality rates. Around 1.4 million of the 10.5 million annual deaths of children under five can be prevented by vaccination against diseases like measles and tetanus. Another 1.1 children could be saved once vaccines against pneumonia and rotavirus became widely available in developing nations.   December 09, 2005   Reuters 015866

Sudan: Displaced Girls Trying to Cope on the Streets.   A study entitled Children of the Sug (market) was conducted by Save the Children Alliance, Oxfam UK, and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). It is said that 4,000 of the 34,000 children on the streets are girls under the age of 18. It wasn't until recently that there was even knowledge of girls on the streets because they were able to keep themselves concealed. It is said that 63% of the girls are working to afford their education or to buy food. The Khartoum Council for Child Welfare has centres that provide schooling, health services and counselling for the thousands of children who, after fleeing civil war and famine, were struggling to survive on the streets of the capital. The centres are more attractive for the girls because they like to do handicrafts and because the girls are more vulnerable to the dangerous conditions on the streets. They need protection and the centres can provide them with that for a few hours each day. Recent studies have also concluded that many of the girls are increasingly trading sex for money and there is an urge to increase the studies around this topic. More than 80% of the girls work in the sex industry while the other 20% sell cigarettes and other goods on the streets. There is knowledge that girls have fewer options than boys for work on the streets and most reluctantly end up as sexworkers. To reduce the amount of sexworkers on the streets, they are rounded up and sent to one of three centres. One individual stated that "we have noticed a big change in the children who have attended counselling and participated in activities at our centres because they begin to reach out and help other children." However the needs to meet everyday living such as food, shelter and protection, often are too great for many of these girls not to work.   November 01, 2005   IRIN News (UN) 015564

Ethiopia: Campaign Launched Against Child Trafficking.   Up to 20,000 children, some 10 years old, are sold each year by their parents to work in cities across Ethiopia. Top athletes have joined the campaign to highlight the plight of vulnerable children. There are an estimated 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia, about 13% of the country's children. Some 200,000 are believed to live on the streets of Addis Ababa. While this is depriving children of their rights to human development, it is a growing burden on impoverished communities. Internal trafficking of children in Ethiopia was one of the highest in the world. Traffickers pay around 10 to 20 Ethiopian birr ($1.20 to $2.40) for each child. Around two-thirds are trafficked by brokers who take a percentage of the child's earnings, while one-third are trafficked by friends and family. It is believed to net those involved around $10 billion a year. The majority of children ended up as labourers, sex workers, weavers or professional beggars. Thousands of Ethiopian women were also trafficked abroad and at least 10,000 have been sent to the Gulf States as prostitutes. Increasing numbers of young women being recruited for sexual purposes. Traffickers in Ethiopia expect to earn around 7,000 birr (around $800) for each victim they send overseas. If caught, they are liable to 20 years imprisonment but few are ever prosecuted.   October 20, 2005   Irin News 015411

U.N. Puts Children in Forefront of AIDS Effort.   Only one in 20 of H.I.V.-infected children gets life-prolonging drugs. One out of 100 gets a cheap antibiotic that can halve death rates from secondary infections. Less than one in 10 infected mothers are given drugs that can stop transmission to their babies. Ten agencies of the UN announced a campaign to raise the profile of children with H.I.V. This reflects the broadening scope of efforts to tackle AIDS. As the pandemic matures, helping growing multitudes of children orphaned by AIDS becomes more pressing. Fifteen million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Four million infected children need the antibiotic cotrimoxazole, but only 1% get it. For $10 a year, it can halve deaths of H.I.V.-infected children who are vulnerable to secondary infections because of their weakened immune systems. There is also a need for research to develop cheaper tests to diagnose AIDS, and drugs to treat children that are easy and cheap to administer. Syrups are available, but are expensive compared with adult medicines, difficult to handle and bad-tasting. Research to help children has received less attention than that for adults. In rich countries, H.I.V. infections in children have almost been eliminated. Though children under 15 account for 1 in 6 AIDS-related deaths globally. Adults are more than three times likely to get drug treatment for AIDS than are children. An estimated 660,000 children need the drugs. The Indian manufacturer has a triple drug cocktail for children in trials in Zambia. The treatment combines three medicines, into one tablet that can be dissolved in water and given to children twice a day and will cost less than $10 per child per month. The addition of water is a problem in countries where water quality is low and water often carries disease.   October 26, 2005   New York Times* 015531

Children Debate Vatican's Stance on Contraception.   The Vatican's stance on contraception was discussed by 120 school children from around the world. They held workshops at which the issues of climate change and Africa were also discussed and the children came up with a number of interesting ideas that will be handed to Prime Minister Tony Blair. The youngsters felt the Vatican was a "major problem" over its stance on safe sex, which had consequences for HIV and population growth.   July 04, 2005   Press Association (UK) 014439

Zimbabwe's youth need government protection.   Youth in Zimbabwe need the protection of the government and society for the nation to develop. No nation can move forward when its young people are trapped in cycles of poverty, unemployment and anti-social habits, or have inadequate health care and limited education or are constrained by social and cultural values. The ministry's commitment is to fight HIV which has become serious among young people. A lot of child abuse cases have been reported with physical and sexual abuse topping the list. The ministry has produced a National Youth Policy, which emphasized the multi- sectoral approach to youth development. The day of the African Child has its origins in the struggle against apartheid where students from Soweto were killed in a demonstration against the enforcement of the Afrikaans language. The week also seeks to create a platform for dialogue between children and other members of the society.   June 14, 2005   Xinhua General News Service 014051

Africa Will Fall Short of Meeting UN Goals on Child Mortality.   3 million more children in Africa will die in the year 2015 than if the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were reached, according to recently released figures. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) projections say that at its current pace, sub-Saharan Africa will dramatically fail to meet the MDGs on child mortality, education and poverty. Child deaths per year are projected to rise from the current level of 4.8 million to about 5.1 million in 2015. Kevin Watkins, Director of the UNDP's Human Development Report Office, said "Africa cannot afford to see the world's richest countries sleep walk their way to a heavily signposted, and easily avoidable, human development disaster."   June 09, 2005   Push Journal 013982

Africans Wonder Whether Live 8 Concerts Will Change Their Lives.   In African cities and villages, they'll be questioning whether Western extravaganzas like the Live 8 concerts, however well intentioned, can help. An aid worker said that the Live 8 concerts in five Western cities will force leaders of the world's richest countries to double aid to Africa, cancel its debts and help its people trade their way out of poverty. Over half of Africa's 870 millions people live on less than a dollar a day. 12 million children are orphaned by HIV/AIDS. About 30% of African children are not in school. Debt cancellation and more aid would mean more funds for basic social services and services for children. The concerts were organized by Gedolf who has urged hundreds of thousands of people to travel to Scotland, to press world leaders to endorse the Commission for Africa programs at the G8 summit. He joined the commission President in an appeal to EU leaders to throw their political weight behind a plan to double the EU's $57 billion annual development aid for African and other poor nations. Africa and its problems offer a chance for Europe to re-describe themselves and their value system. The Live 8 concerts have had minimum publicity in most of Africa, including in South Africa, whose President Thabo Mbeki will attend the G8 summit.   June 10, 2005   Associated Press 013999

Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam Called Sex Tourism Hotspots.   Victims of sex tourism in Southeast Asia are usually girls between 10 and 18 with the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam the hotspots. Abduction and false promises of jobs are among the methods used to recruit youngsters. Children of increasingly young ages are being forced into prostitution. The increasing appetite for Internet child pornography is another emerging trend. Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pledged to fight human trafficking, especially of women and children. Globally, the US maintains that more than 1 million children are exploited annually. Singaporeans make up the largest number of sex tourists, visiting Indonesia's islands and southern Thailand and have sex with girls as young as 14 because they know the Indonesian police will turn a blind eye. Of the 300 girls the NGO has helped since 2003, a small proportion were guaranteed jobs as maids in Singapore. Instead, they were forced into prostitution.   April 27, 2005   Deutche Presse-Agentur (Germany) 013516

Economic Disparity Threatening Survival of Poor East Asian Children: UNICEF.   The U.N. children's agency urged governments in the East Asian and Pacific region to tackle economic inequality that threatens the survival of young people. Big challenges remain in East Asia despite improvements in reducing poverty, slowing infant and child mortality rates, fighting human trafficking, and improving gender equality in basic education. Governments should target impoverished communities with greater public spending on health and education. The recent tsunami had orphaned many children, making them vulnerable to disease, abuse and sexual exploitation. Other problems face the region, particularly the threat of HIV that will kill more people than any natural disaster. An estimated 7,300 children in Cambodia, 7,600 in Myanmar and 12,000 in Thailand are infected with HIV from mother-to-child transmission, unsafe blood supplies or unsanitary injections. Cambodia faces an uphill battle to improve education and health services for its 14 million people. About 63,000 Cambodian children die every year from malnutrition and diarrhea.   April 02, 2005   Associated Press 013207

Japan Travel Industry Steps Up Efforts Against Child Sex Tourism.   Sixty Japanese travel agents signed a code of conduct to protect children from sexual exploitation in tourist destinations. Travel agents are required to put a clause in contracts with local agents forbidding sexual exploitation of children and to train personnel how to avoid child sex businesses. If the major Japanese travel agents show their tough stance against child prostitution, that would have a big impact. According to UNICEF, some 1.2 million children under 18 fall victim to human trafficking annually. A 48-year-old Japanese high school teacher was arrested in Japan on suspicion of paying for sex with two 16-year-old Vietnamese girls in Cambodia in 2003. In 1999, Tokyo enacted a law to make it illegal for Japanese to pay for sex with a minor in a foreign country. The World Tourism Organization trusts that the voice of the Japanese travel trade will be added to those who are actively campaigning against this sad tragedy.   2003   Agence France Presse 013144

Schoolchildren in Rural South Africa Struggle to Learn.   Children in rural schools struggle to cope with poverty and AIDS. They are forced to deal with demands that result in a high drop-out from school. 65% of children reported that no one in the house was sufficiently educated to help them with their homework. The children also had to cope with parents suffering from AIDS and ill-health among family members was cited by 57% of parents and guardians as reasons for children missing school. HIV is subtle, insidious and erodes the education system. AIDS affects more than one in five adults in South Africa, with 5.3 million people living with HIV and AIDS. HIV among children between 2 and 18 is 5.6% and many still have to deal with AIDS on a daily basis. Children face many obstacles that prevent their concentrated attention in school. The distance from school, hunger, school fees and uniforms, ill health and HIV, disability and teenage pregnancy all involve direct costs for families.   February 09, 2005   Agence France Presse 012811

The Bride was 7; in the Heart of Ethiopia, Child Marriage Takes a Brutal Toll .   There are, according to child-rights activists, an estimated 50 million young teen or preteen girls whose innocence is being sacrificed to arranged marriages, often with older men. While humanitarian campaigns have focused attention on childhood AIDS in Africa, female genital mutilation and child labor, one of the underlying sources remains ignored. Child marriage was only denounced by the U.N. as a human-rights violation in 2001. Early pregnancies are the leading cause of death for girls age 15 to 19 in the developing world and medical relief groups believe that 2 million women are living with fistulas, from bearing children much too young. Untreated they can be fatal, and survivors are usually left incontinent. Often treated like servants, young brides are subject to beatings by their husbands and in-laws. Thousands of girls end up in the sex trade, through organized trafficking rings or by drifting from abusive marriages into street prostitution. Child marriage pries millions of young girls out of school and cheated of education, are condemned to lives of ignorance and poverty. According to UNFPA, 49 countries face a child bride problem. The epicenters of child wedlock are sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where cementing clan ties through marriage, a preoccupation with bridal virginity and fear of contracting AIDS are strongest. Ethiopia has started prohibiting early marriages yet the tradition is hard to stamp out. Among Ethiopia's rural Amhara people 82% of brides are underage. But virtually every little girl is already spoken for. Amharaland has the highest child marriage rates in the world, in some corners of the highlands, almost 90% of local girls are married before 15. And because daughters rarely inherit fertile lands, keeping them at home and feeding them are considered a folly. Better to marry them off quickly, to strengthen family alliances for the lean times. Parents push their daughters into wedlock before puberty because they fear the onset of menstruation may be mistaken for premarital sex. And the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has long played a role in early matchmaking encouraging marriage before 15, declaring that this was the age of the Virgin Mary at the Immaculate Conception. In Ethiopia, education is mandatory for both sexes until the 6th grade. But many families keep girls at home to tap their farm labor. Parents also fear for their daughters' virginity at the mud-and-wattle schoolhouse 3 miles away. Child-rights workers agree that education is the most important key unlocking the prison of child marriage. Schoolwork also gives her body time to mature before the rigors of childbirth. Convincing parents of the benefits of schooling works better than just banning child marriage. In countries such as India, secondary education has slashed child marriage rates by up to two-thirds. And across the developing world, girls who complete primary school tend to marry four years later and have two fewer children. Conservative parents distrust education as most pupils never want to go back to the farm and be their mother-in-laws' slaves. In Addis Ababa, a metal structure towers over the houses, a multistory homeless shelter made from stacked shipping containers. It is a training center for escapees from early marriages. Countless runaways end up mired in the sex trade. The plagues of HIV and child marriage go hand in hand throughout the developing world. Research shows that because their husbands are often sexually experienced and possibly carrying the virus already, child wives are more at risk of AIDS than single girls. The infection rates of child brides are even higher by the folk belief that sex with virgins can cure AIDS. A girl's highest function is to produce boys, quickly and often. Starting at 14, an Amhara girl will give birth every year for 15 years and be left with seven surviving children. For millions of child brides, initiations into sex can be traumatic. Among the minority Gurage people, brides are softened up with purgatives and fasting, and their fingernails clipped. The groom forces himself on his weakened wife and she is expected to resist. A 14-year-old schoolgirl shot dead her rapist and would-be husband with a rifle and was acquitted of murder, to the astonishment of the conservative public. In a hospital in Addis Abbaba there is the reek of feces, urine with disinfectant from the patients, women and girls whose reproductive tissues have been ripped apart by too-early childbirth. For every one of the 1,200 girls who are operated on yearly for fistulas there are at least 10 others left untreated. 2 million women worldwide suffer the devastating ailment. Husbands and families disown them. They end up as beggars or hermits.   December 12, 2004   Chicago Tribune 012395

Thousands of Children Missing in Latin America Each Year Due to Poverty, Corruption, Weak Laws .   The trafficking of youngsters is rampant throughout Latin America, where governments lack the political will to deal with the problems. Dozens of traffickers operate in Mexico, Central and South America. Authorities and children's activists say the criminals make up one part of a phenomenon that is growing amid poverty, corruption, and nonexistent laws. Activists in Mexico have drafted proposals to establish a missing children's center modeled on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which investigates cases with the FBI and is supported 50-50 by the federal government and private donors. Currently, Mexico has scattered civilian facilities that rely on private donations. Federal authorities get involved only in cases in which they believe organized crime is involved. Few official statistics exist but the problem is clearly growing worse. They don't have that power of investigation within their law enforcement. An organized crime investigator with the Mexico state police notes that police rarely persist in tracking missing children because few authorities are assigned to such cases. In Brazil each year, about 10,000 children and teenagers disappear and many are believed to have been abducted by prostitution networks. In Colombia, 850 children were reported missing last year, including 400 kidnapped by gangs or leftist rebels seeking ransoms. In Mexico, more than 120,000 children have gone missing in the past five years and half are snatched by one parent in domestic disputes. Others run away because of violence, go missing during illegal trips across the U.S. border, or are sold into brothels by traffickers who lure them with promises of becoming models or receptionists. It is believed that an additional 1,000 children have been sold for illegal adoptions or abducted for child prostitution or labor. At least 100 Mexican children have been kidnapped for ransom over the past five years. Child thieves have posed as benefactors, would-be godparents, nurses, doctors and social workers and authorities uncovered a gang of doctors and nurses who feigned the deaths of children, then sold them for $1,415 to $1,770 each. Mexico and most of Latin America have no government-backed institutions dedicated to missing children, and few authorities to solve cases.   January 11, 2005   Associated Press 012611

Gangs Smuggling Yemeni Children to Saudi Arabia.   Saudi and Yemeni officials said gangs in Yemen are kidnapping children and sending them to Saudi Arabia as beggars. Some families "rent their children" to these gangs for want of money. Children are mostly sent to Makkah and Madinah. Over the past years, the Saudi authorities returned to Yemen more than 4,000 children. Gangs and families of other nationalities are also involved. The problem is acute during the Haj and Ramadan, that attract the largest number of pilgrims. Care centres run by charity organisations have been set up to accommodate child beggars where they are taught to read and write and recite the Quran. Saudi Arabia and Yemen have agreed on a joint committee to suggest solutions. It will focus on the guidelines and mechanism that could reduce the problem. The issue triggered controversy in the Yemeni Parliament after the Human Rights Minister disclosed that about 3,000 Yemeni children were handed over by the Saudi authorities over the past few months. The minister said the Yemeni side is serious about addressing the problem and all those involved in child trafficking would be punished. A Yemeni member of parliament said the Minister of Interior was questioned over the failure to address the problem.   January 11, 2005   Gulf News (UAE) 012602

Nigeria: UNICEF Chief Tasks FG On Children.   UNICEF has called for more funding for programmes that affect children. UNICEF has an annual income of $50 million but the resources are not enough to fund programmes such as education, health care, reduction of child and maternal mortality among others. Major achievements include the passage of the Trafficking Act and the Child's right Act in 2003 as a significant step forward. Commending government for this key legislation, he said this has set Nigeria ahead of other countries. Other achievements are the eradication of guinea worm with less than 50 cases at the end of October and iodised salt in 98% of the households through UNICEF, NAFDAC and Health Ministry. There still is a lot to be done for children as there is a decline in the health status of children and an increase in the under-five mortality rate from 168/1000 births in 1999 to 217/1000 live births in 2003. More than 7 million children of primary school are out of school, and girls education remains one of the priorities. An agreement has been signed with the British Department of International Development, (DFID), for $25 million for girls education over the next three years in 7 states where the gap between girls and boys education remains high.   December 20, 2004   This Day (Nigeria) 012488

Aceh's Children to Be Registered in Effort to Stop Trafficking: UNICEF.   A program to register every displaced child in Indonesia's tsunami-hit province of Aceh is underway to stop human trafficking. UNICEF is working with the government to allow the children made homeless or orphaned to be registered and kept track of. One centre was set up in Banda Aceh and another 20 as soon as possible across the province. A ban on adoption was put in place amid a number of reports that human traffickers were spiriting children out of Aceh. Members of the public would only be allowed to sponsor the orphans by providing financial aid, and children would remain under state care. They would be placed in orphanages run by the government, Islamic foundations or Muslim boarding schools. Children under 16 would not be allowed to leave Aceh without their parents. The government estimated that 35,000 children have been made homeless, orphaned or separated from their parents in Aceh. The quick response by the government and aid organisations may have curtailed the traffickers' efforts. There had been one case of a child being smuggled out of Aceh to the nearby North Sumatran capital of Medan for trafficking. UNICEF's Malaysian office had received an SMS on Tuesday advertising 300 orphans from Aceh aged between three and 10 who could be bought. There are criminal gangs based out of Medan who have been involved in this for a very long time. Authorities have in the past arrested people on child trafficking charges in Medan, where the rings are well known for selling babies for adoption to people in Malaysia and Singapore.   January 05, 2005   Agence France Presse 012556

Swedish Boy Who Survived Tsunami Feared Kidnapped in Thailand.   Kristian Walker was on holiday in Khao Lak, southern Thailand with his mother, his 14-year-old brother and seven-year-old sister when the catastrophe struck. With Mrs Walker feared dead, the boy's American father Dan Walker dashed to Thailand from Stockholm, and discovered the brother and sister in a Phuket hospital. But there was no trace of Kristian, despite two doctors and a nurse who, upon seeing his photo, said they had seen him the day after the disaster, accompanied by a middle-aged European man with dark hair and a moustache. The Thai police are now convinced that the boy may have been kidnapped. Dan Walker is working with the police and said "It is a terrible situation, I believe Kristian is in the hands of traffickers and I do not think he is in the country any more."   January 04, 2005   Agence France Presse 012549

UNICEF Lays Out Four-point Programme for Tsunami Children.   UNICEF proposed four priorities for children, to give the tsunami devastated generation a fighting chance. Keeping children alive, clean water, adequate sanitaion, basic nutrition and routine medical care. Care for separated children must also be given high priority in the all relief plans, finding children who have lost families, identifying them and reuniting them with their extended families and communities. Efforts must ensure that children were protected from exploitation, where families wre broken apart, incomes lost and hope was in short supply. In some countries, there are reports of child traffickers moving in to exploit vulnerable children. UNICEF is working closely with local and national authorities to head off these criminals.   January 05, 2005   UNICEF 012557

UNICEF'S Carol Bellamy Talks About South Asian Children Being Exploited After the Devastation of the Tsunami .   Tens of thousands of children were killed in the tsunami and many of the survivors lost one or both parents. In Indonesia, there are serious rumors and some confirmation that some of the adoption syndicates are attempting to place children into other countries. Indonesia will not allow adoptions in this early stage and the government will be responsible for the children in Aceh. In most countries, UNICEF is working with the governments to register the children that would allow for tracing and reunification, at least with family members. If there is no one, then the potential for adoption would present itself but first find out whether there are family members. No one's had a situation where the scale of deaths and the loss of parents by children is as great as this, but we have other instances of the trafficking of children for sex purposes, not so much for adoption. The UN is working closely with governments and other partners. First to identify the child, then to trace potential family members and reunite them with the children. This gives them a caregiver but it also allows for the child to have some of the trauma reduced.   January 04, 2005   NPR 012558

Beggar, Serf, Soldier, Child.   UNICEF reported that half the world's children face deprivation. From Bombay to Mexico City to Bangkok, child beggars are a banal fact of life. West and Central Africa can be an appalling place to be a child. Of the 27 countries with the worst child mortality rates, 26 are in Africa. AIDS has orphaned them, poverty has driven parents to sell them as cheap labor and warlords turn them into soldiers. I have met fathers who have sent away their boys to break stones in another country and girls who will never go to school because their mothers rely on them to fetch water and firewood. In the 40 years since these countries have freed themselves from colonial rule, the plight of children has grown worse. In the 20 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, the average citizen is poorer than she was a decade ago. In sub-Saharan Africa there are 340 million children, representing 51% of the population. What has gone wrong? A mixture of unscrupulous rulers, international economic policies that stunt African producers, and a cycle of conflict. The last has forced African leaders to pay attention to the countries' children. Restive youth can be a ruler's worst nightmare. The Nigerian president with an imperious reputation, met in October with the youth militias that have wreaked havoc in the oil-rich Niger Delta. He can see the crisis that's confronting his government. In the Republic of Congo, 3.8 million people have died as a result of war. Nearly half were children under 5, who fell victim to malnutrition and preventable diseases. Many child soldiers now dig for diamonds in exchange for a daily bowl of rice. Nigeria put polio back on the map, when Islamist politicians egged on by their clerical allies, accused the West of plotting to sterilize their children with polio vaccinations. Polio cases have cropped up in 11 other African countries. Helping them will require huge amounts of international aid, but first there must be a long-term commitment to peacekeeping. In 2001, American trade barriers and fluctuation in world cotton prices cost Mali the equivalent of three years of education spending. Charity will hardly be sufficient to help the children of sub-Saharan Africa. In Senegal, poor children have long been sent to Koranic schools, where they worked on farms to earn their keep, or collected charity to feed themselves and their teachers.   December 12, 2004   New York Times* 012411

Child Marriage.   Before they become women, more than 51 million girls in developing countries become wives and mothers and victims of HIV, domestic violence, poverty and social rejection. The consequences of child marriage are negative and lasting. When you consider the health consequences and the human cost, this is probably the largest human rights abuse you could name. The Bush administration withdrawal of funding for UNFPA has had repercussions in the battle to fight and treat the ravages of child marriage. UNFPA officials deny that they support or participate in any program involving abortion or sterilization. But the loss of U.S. funding, 13% of UNFPA budget, has sapped the efforts in an array of maternal issues, including the treatment of obstetric fistula. They have concerns about coercive abortions in China and that's why we are working on appropriate family planning and coercion is wrong.   December 16, 2004   Chicago Tribune 012450

UNICEF Says a Billion Children Now Suffer Deprivation Worldwide.   Half the children in the world suffer deprivation because of war, H.I.V. or poverty. There have been gains in reducing the death rates, in increasing the number of children in school, but some of the progress has been offset by AIDs and wars, particularly the 55 civil wars since 1990. Nearly half the 3.6 million people killed in wars since 1990 were children. Along with war, AIDS and H.I.V. are destroying millions of childhoods, especially in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. More than two million have been infected during pregnancy, birth or through breast-feeding. Almost half a million children died of AIDS last year. From 2001 to 2003, the number of children orphaned by AIDS soared from 11.5 million to 15 million, 80% in Africa. Researchers' findings showed that one in six children in developing countries was hungry, one in seven had no health care, one in five had no access to safe water and one in three had no toilet. Over 640 million lived in overcrowded conditions. More than 120 million did not attend primary school. More than 29,000 died every day of preventable causes. More than 2 million were employed in the sex industry, while 1.2 million were trafficked. Child poverty had worsened in a number of developed countries, over the past decade, among them Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria and Italy. The U.S. had a child poverty rate higher than any of those European countries - 21.9%, down from 24.3%. Global military spending was $956 billion, while the cost of effectively combating poverty would be $40 to $70 billion.   December 10, 2004   New York Times* 012371

One Billion Denied a Childhood.   More than half of under-18s are affected, and too many governments are making deliberate choices that hurt childhood. Half the world's children are growing up hungry and unhealthy, schools have become targets and whole villages are being emptied by AIDS. Poverty for children is less a factor of income than basic rights. More than one billion children do not have access to at least one of the following: shelter, water, sanitation, schooling, information, healthcare and food. Nearly half of the 3.6 million people killed in wars since 1990 have been children. Millions were displaced by conflict, or forced to take part as child soldiers.   December 09, 2004   BBC News 012358

Enlisting Men in the Fight Against Fistula.   Cultural norms dictate that girls should get married early in Niger with the average age 13. Many pregnancies occur before the age of 19, but complications ensue by obstetric fistulas, a condition that occurs as a result of obstructed labour, when a girl's pelvis is too small to accommodate the baby. Organisations have initiatives to care for girls who develop fistulas. But what of the men who allow this. Obstructed labour cuts off the blood supply to the vagina, bladder and sometimes the rectum, causing the tissue to die forming a hole that allows the flow of urine and fecal matter. The result may lead to the girl being abandoned by her husband, and ostracized by society. It sometimes leads to infertility, and women find themselves further isolated. The condition can be repaired but surgery is too costly for girls from poor areas. UNFPA estimates that more than two million women suffer from the condition. Caesarian sections has largely eradicated fistulas, but in Niger 4% of girls have access to this procedure. A number of groups are targeting men to rid Niger of fistulas, calling upon the services of story tellers, blacksmiths, hairdressers and butchers to spread the word about the dangers of fistula. Campaigns to prevent early marriage also tend to encourage parents to keep their daughters in school - a measure that has benefits for the girls, and society at large. The rate of primary school enrollment in 2003 was 50.1% for boys and 33.3% for girls. There are few rural schools in Niger and girls become vulnerable when they leave their villages to attend secondary schools. Religion may also prove an obstacle, as misinformed Islamic leaders exercise a bad influence in the name of religion. Islam does not encourage early marriage or recommend marriage to girls before puberty. If a girl is married according to the customs of Islam, that marriage is valid but the parents must decide when the union should be consummated.   November 23, 2004   Africa News Service 012215

U.N.: Violence Against Women and Children in Darfur Increasing, Despite Government Denials.   The surge in Sudan of violent incidents is increasing as refugees arrive at camps in Darfur. Children are witness to and victims of violent terror. They suffer deprivation and sickness in their bid to escape. Children have been loaded onto trucks and transported to a new camp without their parents and some have been injured during government attempts to relocate camps. Government-backed Arab militias are accused of targeting civilians in a campaign of murder, rape and arson. The conflict has driven 1.8 million people from their homes, and at least 70,000 have died since March because of disease, hunger and other hardships. Many have been killed in fighting since the conflict started. The only party capable of securing the lives of these people is the government. For as long as there is violence and insecurity for Sudanese children, those responsible must be brought to account.   November 18, 2004   Associated Press 012158

UN Fears Rising Child Sex Trade.   The sexual exploitation of children is becoming increasingly widespread because of the internet, organised crime, economic pressures and the impact of HIV. Unless governments act on the recently-passed laws, millions more children could end up in sexual slavery. The International Labour Organisation estimates that 1.2 million children are trafficked annually while the number sexually exploited is much greater. The majority are young teenagers but it was not uncommon to find children as young as nine. The boom in internet paedophilia was not restricted to developed nations and even in places with lower connectivity exploitation is growing rapidly. Poverty was a large factor and worsening economic conditions make people more vulnerable to child sexual exploitation.   November 09, 2004   Push Journal 012102

Over 15,000 Indian Children Missing Every Year.   At least 15,407 children from six Indian cities go missing every year and more than 3,200 women are untraced, confirming the rate of trafficking of women and children in the country. Only 60% of cases are reported to the policer. State governments were doing little to stop trafficking, 40% of police officers did not have any knowledge about laws to prevent trafficking. Goa was the only state to have enacted a specific law to protect children from sexual exploitation.   September 27, 2004   Times of India 011655

The Child-Mothers of Uganda.   An 18-year-old war between President Museveni and the Lord's Resistance Army has created an epidemic of child-mothers. These girls became child-mothers when they were unwillingly taken from their land to Sudan. There girls between the ages of 15 and 23 were sexually assaulted, raped, and became "wives" to rebels. Now these girls have returned from Sudan, to their homes in Uganda. However, they are still induring struggles due to their abduction. Many return pregnant or with malnutritioned children to raise themselves. They also fear that they contracted sexually transmitted diseases from their torture, including HIV, with it is estimated is about 30% of those returning. The conditions they are returning to are impoverished. Most of their parents are dead, they are unable to find the father of their children prior to abduction. "Having been violated, they feel stigmatized and ashamed of themselves even though they were just victims of the war. They also feel that their own communities and relatives will reject them as unworthy of living with them." Unfortunatetly, most families are rejecting those returning because they are unable to provide a home for them. Those returning to Uganda are just as bad off financially as those currently residing there. A phenomenon has been created due to these circumstances, many women are night commuting with their children. This means that at night they travel to the city to sleep on the stoops of shops and stores, then they travel back to community during the day. They do this because of the fear of being kidnapped again, it is the night that haunts them. Government agencies are providing women with the opportunity for shelter and rehabilitation, however these services will not be provided for women for long periods of time and many find themselves in the same circumstances. "These girls are victims of the most vicious circumstances - destitute orphans, victims of rape and defilement, night commuters, who have had any chance of education taken away from them as a result of their abduction."   September 20, 2004   World Press Review 011523

In Fight Against Child Mortality UNICEF Chief Urges Doctors to Address Root Causes.   At a conference for pediatricians in Cancun, Mexico, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Carol Bellamy said that 11 million children die before the age of five every year, most from preventable causes. Pediatricians must go to underlying factors such as poverty and discrimination. Leadership must recognize underlying causes and take appropriate steps that break patterns of discrimination and enable health efforts to reach the unreached. To make progress in child survival, partners involved must understand that a healthy childhood has many facets and health practitioners understand this better than pediatricians. Keeping a child alive, healthy, well-nourished, and protected is not a job for Health Ministries alone.   August 26, 2004   UN News Center 011315

10,000 Nepalese Children Abused in Six Months.   As Nepal battles political instability, over 10,000 minors have been affected in the last six month through child marriages, labour, deaths, trafficking and prostitution. Between January and June, 7,000 children were affected and 6,600 were abducted by Maoists for indoctrination, 77 arrested by security forces, 99 wounded in fighting between the two forces and 54 actually killed. There were at least two incidents of suicide. A boy killed himself after being arrested as well as a girl said to have Maoist links. Other child violations ranged from sexual exploitation to infanticide. 137 children had been sexually exploited, 109 were victims of domestic violence, 181 victims of labour exploitation and 324 faced torture. There were 33 child killings, 28 cases of infanticide and 41 cases of HIV infection. In total there are 8.4 million children below 14 years, 9.5 million below 16 and 10.4 million below 18. Only 31% of those enrolling in primary schools complete their education.   August 5, 2004   NewKerala.com 011187

UNICEF to Launch Survey on Street Children in Myanmar.   UNICEF will assess children in Yangon, Mandalay and Pathein to determine their living conditions and their vulnerability to abuse and exploitation. The agency has trained social and religious workers, teachers and caretakers in the two prior cities on protecting children and those infected by HIV. A study is being made by on internal and cross-border migration in five townships, to monitor the link between migration and human trafficking. Myanmar is drafting a plan of action which includes 21 goals focusing on education, combating HIV and protecting children from abuse and exploitation. The agenda is targeted to be achieved within a decade. Myanmar became a signatory to the UNCRC in 1991 and afterwards the country enacted its child law in 1993 prohibiting child labor.   August 09, 2004   Xinhua General News Service 011189

Afghanistan: Poverty Forces Children to Quit School to Work .   An estimated 40,000 children are working on the city's streets in 10 populous districts of Kabul. Many lost their breadwinners or were put to work, most as shoeshine boys or porters, washing cars, burning incense, selling small items or collecting metal. Others resort to begging, but rarely admit it, considering such acts shameful. The children often assume the duty of earning income for their families. While hazardous child labour had not been as commonplace as in other countries, UNICEF is concerned that children do not have access to education and health care. Since 1995, NGO's has trained 2,600 street children in a variety of fields including carpentry, painting and mechanics. Afghanistan needs a strong social care system. The country needed more long-term support to tackle child labour in the country.   June 28, 2004   IRIN News (UN) 010855

Study Blames Under-Nutrition for Half of Child Deaths Worldwide.   Under-nutrition is the underlying cause of 53% of child deaths. Providing children with an adequate diet could save more than 2.5 million lives per year. Poor nourishment leaves children so weakened that non-fatal diseases can kill them. Under-nutrition is responsible for 60% of deaths from diarrhoea, 57% from malaria, 52% from pneumonia and 45% from measles.   July 18, 2004   Planned Parenthood 010864

Third of Europe's Child Deaths Environment-related.   Unsafe environments cause a third of all child deaths in Europe. 100,000 young Europeans die every year from exposure to pollution or unsafe living conditions, such as a lack of clean drinking water. Accidents were the biggest killer, accounting for three quarters of the 100,000 annual deaths. In the poorest countries, pneumonia caused by indoor air pollution and diarrhoea from a lack of sanitation and clean water were also major causes of death. The toll from traffic rose as children got older and spent more time away from the home. Drownings and fire deaths predominated in housebound infants. Injuries accounted for a third of all deaths each year in the prosperous zone. Suicides were higher in the richer countries. Children in poorer regions pay a heavy price for breathing polluted air, drinking unclean water and absorbing lead contamination. Lack of clean water claims around 13,500 lives a year, from diarrhoea. Indoor air pollution claims 10,000 lives a year, in countries where people burn coal and wood. Most victims are infants who develop pneumonia. An estimated 9000 lives could be saved by moving to cleaner liquid or gas fuels.   June 17, 2004   New Scientist 010732

WHO Says Pollution Kills 3 Million Under-five Children Yearly.   Environment hazards kill more than three million children under 5 every year, WHO said from the use of chemicals and environmental degradation. Old and understood threats are responsible for killing most children: unsafe water, lack of sanitation, malaria and indoor air pollution. 10% of the world's population is under five, yet 40% of the environment- related diseases falls on them, because they have a higher intake of harmful substances in relation to body weight, and have less strength and knowledge to protect themselves. Children are the main sufferers of environmental hazards. We must act now for a sustainable and brighter future. According to WHO, unclean water causes diarrhoea, which kills an estimated 8.1 million people each year, 1.6 million are children under 5. Unclear water is responsible for cholera, dysentery, guinea worm, typhoid and intestinal worms. 68% of wastewater in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 65% in Asia, is discharged untreated. Nearly one million children die each year from air pollution inside their homes, while 75% percent of households in most Asian and African countries cook with as wood, dung, coal or crop waste, which produce a black smoke that may cause or worsen pneumonia and respiratory infections.   June 23, 2004   Panafrican News Agency 010837

Breaking the Cycle of Child Marriages.   In most nations 18 is the legal minimum age for marriage. Yet in the next decade, 100 million girls will marry before they are 18, many against their will. UNFPA seeks to focus concern about adolescent girls from their fertility and health, to the skills they need for their lives. Income can provide them with autonomy, mobility and freedom from gender roles. Drastic action must discourage child marriages such as: Highlighting the risk of HIV for young girls who marry older men. Fostering dialogue about dignity and rights of all persons, and the health threats from forced or early marriage. Helping girls to complete their education and working to address poverty and discrimination against girls. Designing effective education, and opportunities for unmarried girls to assist them in deferring marriage. Child marriages are a custom in many countries where ties between families are strengthened by arranged marriages. As one girl explained: "I was promised to a man before I was 10 and when I saw him I realised he was older than my daddy." Child marriages bring health risks as pregnancy is a leading cause of death for women 15 to 19. A long and difficult childbirth can cause an obstetric fistula and sufferers are unable to control normal functions. Girls are at risk of HIV since they are often married to older men with more sexual experience. Studies show that teenage brides are contracting HIV at a faster rate than their unmarried counterparts. 7.3 million young women are living with HIV compared to 4.5 million young men and nearly two-thirds of newly infected youth are female. 1.2 billion people are between 10 and 19. The health of young girls today will have a major impact on the overall social and economic health of our world tomorrow.   June 17, 2004   Straits Times 010714

Better Diet 'Would Save Millions'.   Poor nourishment leaves children underweight and weakened and usually non-fatal illnesses, such as diarrhoea, can kill them. Giving all children an adequate diet could save over 2.5m lives a year. A million deaths from pneumonia, 800,000 from diarrhoea, 500,000 from malaria, and 250,000 from measles could be prevented. 52.5% of all deaths in young children were attributable to under-nourishment. Malnutrition does not have to be severe to have a significant impact on child health and survival, even children whose weight would not classify them as malnourished, were twice as likely to die. Save the Children managing director of emergencies and crisis, warned the crisis in Sudan was likely to escalate.   June 17, 2004   Push Journal 010719

U.K.: The Rise in Child Trafficking Needs a National Response.   A study at Heathrow identified that nearly 2,000 unaccompanied children entered the UK over three months last year. A third were found at risk as domestic servants or prostitutes, twelve have vanished. The study looked only at unaccompanied children, non-EU passport holders, and was limited to one London port of entry. A new child protection team will be limited to Heathrow and the Eurostar terminal at Waterloo. Many minors end up in domestic slavery, runners for criminal gangs, or enter Britain in the company of adults purporting to be aunts or uncles. Social workers are unequipped to identify children at risk, investigate their circumstances or verify the relationship between guardians or sponsors.   May 18, 2004   The Independent 010539

Madagascar: Concern Over Rising Child Trafficking.   Malagasy authorities are concerned over the increase of child trafficking following the arrest of eight men accused of running an illegal adoption ring. Police found 11 babies being sent abroad. Children, mostly infants, were stolen and sent to illegal adoption centres, mainly in Europe, where they were then sold for about US $800 each. Poverty is the main reason why girls who have babies give them up or sell them as they don't have the means to keep them. But there is the stigma single women with children face from their neighbours and family members. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, with most people surviving on less than a US $1 per day.
In the case of many countries, poverty - and large families that parents are unable to care for - are a vicious cycle. Children are the victims.   April 29, 2004   IRIN News (UN) 010410

Ugandan Children Pawns of War, Official Says.   The Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda abducted 10,000 children in the last 18 months for fighters and sex slaves. The rebel group has waged an 18-year war against the Ugandan government and has driven more than 1.5 million people from their homes in northern and eastern Uganda. The movement, led by former altar boy Joseph Kony, says it is fighting the forces of Ugandan President to defend the rights of the northern Acholi people and the establishment of a government based on the Ten Commandments. Most of the soldiers and victims are children, terrorized into attacking their own villages. Kony relies on Christian symbolism and traditional magic to lead his child followers. A girl told how she and other captives had been forced to tear apart a child who had tried to escape. 40,000 children and mothers have to walk from their villages to nearby towns every night to stay safe. The Ugandan government and the international community had done little to help. Governments have pledged 10% of this year's U.N. appeal for $127 million in humanitarian aid for the region.   April 15, 2004   Los Angeles Times 010318

Kristof Responds: Child Labor.   The push by Democrats for international labor standards is well intentioned, but oblivious to third world realities. But the Western attitude sometimes makes things worse. Consider two American efforts to ban imports produced by child labor: In 1993, when Congress would have blocked imports made by children, garment factories in Bangladesh fired 50,000 children and many ended in jobs like prostitution. In 1996 there was a cry against soccer balls stitched by children in their homes, in Pakistan. The balls are now stitched by adults, in factories under international monitoring, but many women are worse off. Conservative Pakistanis believe that women shouldn't work outside the home, so stitching soccer balls is off limits for many. Bad publicity about Pakistan led China to grab market share with machine-stitched balls, Pakistan's share of the market dropped to 45% from 65%. Jagdish Bhagwati,a trade economist, says in his book, "In Defense of Globalization," that protesting child labor doesn't address the poverty that causes it. On the other hand, many children attend less than four years of school. In the village of Toukoultoukouli in Chad, 17 girls and 31 boys learn in the two-room school. Many children, especially girls, never attend school, which ends after the fourth grade. So a 12-year-old boy has got all the education he can get. Westerners should channel getting all children into school for at least four years and it could perhaps be achieved by bribery. The U.N. offers free meals to children in poor schools and a bribe of grain for girl students to take home to their families. Providing food raises school attendance, particularly for girls. School feeding costs 19 cents per day per child. So to university students: Instead boycotting Nike or pressing for barriers against child labor, sponsor school meals in places like Toukoultoukouli. Officials at the World Food Program would be thrilled to have private groups or individuals help sponsor school feedings.   April 07, 2004   New York Times* 010245

Niger; Young Population Booms as Family Size Increases.   Family sizes are increasing in Niger, a poor West African country, while the use of birth control methods has decreased. The population is rising by 3.1% a year and is now at 11.5 million. Unless this trend is reversed, the education and healthcare systems could collapse. With 50% of the population aged less than 15 and 70% less than 25, Niger has one of the youngest populatioms in the world. If trends continued, the number of children between 6 and 12 would increase by 50% in the next six years from 2.2 million to 3.3 million. By 2020, the number of children of school age would be 4.5 and 5.0 million. This would place intolerable pressure on primary schools and under-staffed health clinics which the government could not afford to fund more generously. This has led to a population explosion which is unsustainable if Niger wishes to escape its poverty trap. The baby boom comes from poverty, early marriage and the belief, encouraged by Islamic religious leaders, that large families are good. Those who practised contraception did so to space out the birth of their children rather than restrict the size of their family. Islam is not an obstacle since the Muslim countries of Iran, Egypt, Morocco and Bangladesh have managed to bring down their birth rate successfully. The government is aiming at making politicians, senior civil servants and journalists more aware of the dangers of uncontrolled population growth.   March 30, 2004   IRIN News (UN) 010170

World Grows Richer, the Poor Face Malnutrition - UN Report.   While global GDP has doubled during the past 20 years, the number of underweight pre-school children has been cut by only 20%. A report shows progress has been uneven, with sub-Saharan Africa lagging behind. Micronutrient, maternal nutrition, shorter children, thinner children, low birth weight and other indicators of malnutrition shows that Africa is heading in the wrong direction. The relationship between economic growth and reductions in childhood malnutrition depends on how food is allocated, the availability of health services and the prevalence of disease. 10 million children below 5 die every year half from poor nutrition. The lack of donor support is jeopardizing meeting global anti-poverty goals. In 1994 developed countries agreed to provide an annual $6.1 billion by 2005 but have fallen short by $3 billion. The developing countries mobilized $11.7 billion, out of their target of about $12.4 billion. If the gap is not closed, it is unlikely that any of the world's goals will be met. There has been progress, more women are able to choose the number and spacing of their children, but progress is uneven. Many women still lack access to care and the risk of maternal mortality remains unacceptably high.   March 31, 2004   International Food Policy Research Institute 010171

Prostitutes as Young as 10 in New Zealand.   In New Zealand, children as young as 10 are prostituting themselves. Victims of sexual abuse who are living apart from their parents are most vulnerable. In 195 cases of underage prostitution, 10% were under 12 although it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to be a prostitute. Only seven of 47 respondents were living with both parents when they were first paid for sex at an average age of 13.5, some as young as 9. The age at which children began to receive payment for sex ranged from 10 to 17 years, with the average 14.5 years.   February 10, 2004   Push newsfeed 009891

Pope Decries Violence Against Children.   Pope John Paul II praised parents who are willing to have large families and those adults who care for the underprivileged. He mentioned young people who have been hurt by sex abuse, forced prostitution, involvement in drug trafficking, being forced into military combat and caught up in the trafficking of organs and persons. John Paul also discussed the millions of persons now afflicted by AIDS and a Vatican official urged pharmaceutical companies to lower the costs of AIDS drugs criticizing the drug companies for unaffordable prices. The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers said there has been a "dramatic reduction" in the prices for anti-retroviral medicines, making drugs more accessible. The Vatican opposes the use of condoms to fight AIDS, insisting that chastity is the best way to fight the disease. However, several prelates have suggested that using condoms may be the lesser of evils.   January 29, 2004   Push newsfeed 009702

Africa: More Must Be Done for Children's Health.   One in five African children die before they reach their fifth birthday simply because of the poor environment they live in. One third of global diseases are caused by poor environments. Over 70% of childhood deaths in Africa are due to acute respiratory infection, diarrhoea, measles, malaria, HIV infections and malnutrition. Safeguarding a child’s environment is fundamental to ensure they live healthy lives, but in Ethiopia 70% of the population do not have access to clean water and four fifths have no access to sanitation. Half of girls re enrolled in primary schools, while vaccinations reach only half of the population.   April 29, 2003   Push newsfeed 006600

Ethiopia: Preventing Needless Deaths .   As Ethiopia's Somali Region struggles with drought, the risk from infectious diseases is threatening this fragile community. Two drops of Vitamin A and the measles vaccination costs around US $0.25 per child. That simple, cheap lifesaver is vital where the country’s largest ever measles immunization campaign was launched. Measles is one of Ethiopia’s top five childhood killers with 1.45 million cases annually and 72,000 children needlessly die each year. UNICEF stresses the importance of tackling measles that can cause blindness, deafness, and brain damage. Child mortality among malnourished children can be 20% because of a weakened immune system. 11 million people need food aid and the vaccination programme is imperative. Vaccination is targeting 90% of the population but routine coverage has been around 4% making it worthless. A lack of accurate data is a widespread problem and a measles outbreak could be expected given the previous coverage and the drought. Immunising children is difficult as families roam with their animals looking for pasture. But without a level of more than 90% coverage, health officials believe they will never break the cycle. The incubation period is seven days, and the faster the programme the greater the protection. Radios and loudspeakers inform local and rural populations about the campaign, which will cost about US $1 million.   April 18, 2003   UN Integrated Regional Information Network 006538

Street Children: Numbers Rising in Zambia, Kyrgyzstan.   More than 75,000 children live on the streets of Zambia's major cities. In addition, 13% of the child population of 4.1 million are orphans as a result of HIV/AIDS. Street children "fell prey" to drug and substance abuse and some have been raped. In the central Asian Republic of Kyrgyzstan a growing number of children in have been abandoned by their families and are forced to live on the streets due to poverty   December 08, 1999   009072

Africa: Increasing Cases May Stagnate Demand for Education .   As a result of HIV/AIDS,and the early death of one or both parents, there are fewer child