Children out of sight, out of mind, out of reach
KUALA LUMPUR, 6 April 2006 – Millions of children around the world are suffering from severe exploitation and discrimination and have become virtually invisible to the world, UNICEF said today in its annual flagship report, The State of the World’s Children 2006 which explores the causes of exclusion and the abuses children experience. The Report which cites poverty, discrimination based on gender and disability, weak governance and HIV/AIDS as the root causes for exclusion experienced by children was launched in Malaysia by Her Excellency Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Deputy Prime Minister, together with UNICEF’s Regional Director for East Asia and Pacific, Anupama Rao Singh and UNICEF Representative to Malaysia, Gaye Phillips. Policies for children According to the Report, millions of children are being shut out from school, healthcare and other vital services they need to grow and thrive. Without focused attention, they will remain trapped and forgotten in childhoods of neglect and violence, with devastating consequences for their long-term well-being and the development of nations. The Report argues that any society with an interest in the welfare of its children and its own future must not allow this to happen. Key to ensuring that no child is invisible is to stop thinking that children’s rights and needs can be addressed within policies targeted at adults. “We have to stop basing children’s policies on those of parents, adults or families, in the mistaken assumption that policies that are good for adults will necessarily be good for children. In fact, children’s and adult’s interests and rights are not always identical; they are frequently different and occasionally conflict,” said Phillips. Ensuring no child is left behind The State of the World’s Children argues that the world must go beyond current development efforts to ensure that the most vulnerable children are not left behind. Efforts need to be urgently stepped up in four key areas: Research, monitoring and reporting: Systems to record and report on the nature and extent of abuses against children are essential to reaching excluded and invisible children. Legislation: National laws must match international commitments to children, and legislation that fosters discrimination must be changed or abolished. Laws to prosecute those who harm children must be consistently enforced. For example, weak law enforcement perpetuates the climate of impunity that surrounds the rape of children. Financing and capacity-building: Child-focused budgets and the strengthening of institutions that serve children must complement laws and research. Programs: Reform is urgently required in many countries and communities to remove entry barriers for children who are excluded from essential services, for example, eliminating the requirement of a birth certificate to attend school.
Innovative community interventions for children Following the launch of the Report, UNICEF presented a token of appreciation to the Ministry of Health’s Family Health Development Division Director, Dato’ Dr. Narimah Awin for her dedicated service in improving the quality of health care for women and children in the country. Malaysia’s maternal and under-five child mortality rates are amongst the lowest in the world comparable to those of developed countries. The Family Health Development Division’s “Sarawak Village Health Promoters” or VHP is one of the many program interventions that contribute to this success. The VHP project is cited in the State of the World’s Children 2006 as an innovative program strategy that provides services to children in remote or deprived geographical locations.
Village Health Promoters Speeches |
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