On November 20th 1989, 197 countries signed the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the child. It states essential rights for children to have access to education, healthcare and to be protected. However, in some countries most of these rights never came into application.
Because of poverty or political and military instability in these areas, there are states that don't have means to ensure good conditions to their populations, children included. In the case of developed countries, some like United States, signed this convention but never ratified it, neither manifested the willingness to do concrete actions to conform to the convention.
In consequence, many children around the world don’t have access even to the most basic of the rights guaranteed by this chart.
Because of poverty or political and military instability in these areas, there are states that don't have means to ensure good conditions to their populations, children included. In the case of developed countries, some like United States, signed this convention but never ratified it, neither manifested the willingness to do concrete actions to conform to the convention.
In consequence, many children around the world don’t have access even to the most basic of the rights guaranteed by this chart.
Access to education
According to a Unicef annual report, published in 2019, the world 61 millions of children don’t have access to education at all. Most of them are located in Africa and in the South East of Asia but in other continents, countries like Bolivia and Roumania still have rates of non schooled children over 5%.
250 millions children or teenagers don’t even know how to read and write. Girls have more difficulties than boy because they are often the ones who has to stay home and take care of the families. In some countries like Pakistan, because extremists groups tries to stop girls from going to school, to the point of even forcing some families to stop sending their daughters because they fear for their security.
There is some improvement over the years, with more children having access to education, but even if the access to primary education gets better, there are still big inequalities in the learning process and the opportunities after school. In Europe the estimation of school dropping can attain 10-20% in some countries because of economic or school difficulties. And with the coronavirus crisis, lockdown and online classes there will be even more difficulties for student to learn properly and have a good access to education.
250 millions children or teenagers don’t even know how to read and write. Girls have more difficulties than boy because they are often the ones who has to stay home and take care of the families. In some countries like Pakistan, because extremists groups tries to stop girls from going to school, to the point of even forcing some families to stop sending their daughters because they fear for their security.
There is some improvement over the years, with more children having access to education, but even if the access to primary education gets better, there are still big inequalities in the learning process and the opportunities after school. In Europe the estimation of school dropping can attain 10-20% in some countries because of economic or school difficulties. And with the coronavirus crisis, lockdown and online classes there will be even more difficulties for student to learn properly and have a good access to education.
Access to food and basic daily needs
It starts with a very shocking constatation : each day 22 000 children in the world die because of the direct consequences of poverty with 45% of these deaths being malnutrition.
In the world ⅓ children don't grow up in good conditions (obesity or lack of nutriments). 149 millions children are too small and too thin for their age and 40 millions children are overweighted, even in poor countries because of low quality nutrition. These situations impact their growths, have a long term impact on their health and also affects their learning process.
With the lack of access to food comes another important resource that many children still can’t access : the lack of access to drinkable water that brings dehydration but also illnesses that children in developing countries have to face.
In the world ⅓ children don't grow up in good conditions (obesity or lack of nutriments). 149 millions children are too small and too thin for their age and 40 millions children are overweighted, even in poor countries because of low quality nutrition. These situations impact their growths, have a long term impact on their health and also affects their learning process.
With the lack of access to food comes another important resource that many children still can’t access : the lack of access to drinkable water that brings dehydration but also illnesses that children in developing countries have to face.
Access to healthcare
Half of the world population doesn’t have access to basic health care. And even if it was reduced by more than half, there are still 5,2 millions children under 5 dying from illnesses or starvation.
According to a Unicef report, nearly 40% of these deaths occur in countries suffering from humanitarian crises. This can be explained partly by the lack of pre and postnatal care that is responsible for so many deaths of newborn babies in Sub Saharan Africa or South Asia.
The second and third causes of deaths during early childhood would be illnesses like pneumonia and meningitis responsible for 1 million of deaths among children under 5 years old due to lack of access to healthcare facilities or antibiotics. Many of these deaths could be prevented with more investment in health access and providing vaccines against tetanos or other vaccine against other mortal illnesses that developed countries have access too.
Unicef and other NGO involved in these region made plans to reduce the number of deaths but it will take time for these actions to show effects.
According to a Unicef report, nearly 40% of these deaths occur in countries suffering from humanitarian crises. This can be explained partly by the lack of pre and postnatal care that is responsible for so many deaths of newborn babies in Sub Saharan Africa or South Asia.
The second and third causes of deaths during early childhood would be illnesses like pneumonia and meningitis responsible for 1 million of deaths among children under 5 years old due to lack of access to healthcare facilities or antibiotics. Many of these deaths could be prevented with more investment in health access and providing vaccines against tetanos or other vaccine against other mortal illnesses that developed countries have access too.
Unicef and other NGO involved in these region made plans to reduce the number of deaths but it will take time for these actions to show effects.
Marianne Yotis
Marianne is a french volunteer in Praxis, involved in the children's rights campaign
