Angola's children
Over half of the 13.2 million Angolans are children. Angola ranks 164 out of 175 countries on the Human Development Index and has one of the highest under-five mortality rates in the world, with 260 deaths per 1,000 live births. The total fertility rate per woman is 7.2, and the annual population growth rate is 2.9%. The majority of Angola’s population lives in poverty with 68% of urban dwellers living below the poverty line. The rural economy is estimated to be almost entirely at subsistence level. Child mortality rates are appalling Malaria is the largest single cause of child mortality. In 2001, only 2 per cent of children under five years of age were using insecticide-treated mosquito nets. Poor nutrition is a major cause of high levels of child morbidity and mortality in Angola. Worsening household poverty and food insecurity continue to contribute to the extremely high rates of wasting among children that was reported in several areas both during the war and following the ceasefire. The 2001 multiple indicator cluster survey (MICS) revealed that 45.2 per cent of children less than five years old suffered from chronic malnutrition, 31 per cent were under weight and 6.2 per cent were acutely malnourished. The other main causes of child mortality are acute respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases and vaccine-preventable diseases, particularly measles. Immunisation coverage is increasing although only 47 per cent of one-year-olds are fully immunized. Diarrhoea-related morbidity and mortality are due partly to inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services, particularly in rural areas. It is estimated that the maternal mortality ratio is approximately 1,700 per 100,000 live births, one of the highest in the world. The HIV prevalence rate is officially estimated at 3,9%, however many feel that this is an underestimate. Extremely limited knowledge and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS are of great concern: 32 per cent of women between 15 and 49 years of age have never heard of HIV/AIDS and only 8 per cent have adequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention. From 104,000 children orphaned due to AIDS in 2001, projections indicate that this number will increase to 331,000 in 2010.
Children’s rights need major improvements Forty-four per cent of children do not attend primary school. Although there is little disparity between boys’ and girls’ attendance rates, girls have higher drop-out and lower completion rates. Gender disparity in terms of literacy is significant, with only 54 per cent of women over 15 year’s old literate, compared to 82 per cent among men. An estimated 1 million children died during the conflict and the violence took a heavy toll on the psycho-social well-being of many children. Approximately 43,000 children at present remain separated from their families. The number of orphans cared for in Angolan households is very high, with 11 per cent of all children 0-14 years old being orphans of one or both parents. Birth registration coverage remains low, with only 30 per cent of children registered at birth. In terms of child labour, 30 per cent of children 5 to 14 years of age are working. Sexual and economic abuse of children, including child trafficking in certain parts of the county, have emerged as problems. Strategies and programmes to address the situation of children in conflict with the law are only beginning. Although a legal framework and national strategy for children protection exist as do networks of child protection organizations, too many Angolan children are deprived, abused or exploited.
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