Pacific Overview
Situation of Children and Women in Pacific UNICEF provides assistance to thirteen self-governing island countries and one non self-governing territory under New Zealand administration (Tokelau) which fall into three main socio-cultural areas: Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. In Polynesia: the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga and Tuvalu The population of most Pacific island countries is small, ranging from less than 2,000 people in Niue to over 800,000 in Fiji, residing on hundreds of islands and atolls spread over thousands of square miles of ocean. Despite their relatively small population, the 14 Pacific Island Countries have unique challenges arising from their wide-spread geographical location (covering over 30 million km2 of ocean), to their wide cultural diversity. Vast also is their differing levels of vulnerability and economic and social development, both within and between the countries. Social and economic development is constrained by geographic isolation, frequent natural disasters, limited domestic markets, inadequate infrastructure and capacity constraints. Globalisation, economic modernisation, and new lifestyle aspirations have created problems of cash poverty, hardships faced due to the lack of opportunity, social isolation, and inequality across the Pacific. Adding to these problems are unfavourable policies and regulatory environments for trade and private sector development in a region where governments tend to dominate many economies. While the average gross domestic product per capita improved from $1,484 in 1990 to $3,251 in 2000, Pacific Island Countries have made only moderate progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. An estimated 17 per cent of the population lives on less than $1 per day. Under-five and infant mortality rates have dropped since 1990 but efforts must be intensified to reach 2015 targets. About 20 per cent of people living in the Pacific are yet to access improved drinking water sources, while about 30 per cent do not use sanitation facilities. Twenty per cent of Pacific children were not immunized against measles in 2005 and large sub-national disparities in vaccination coverage persist. Six out of 10 children in the Pacific are anaemic and other micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent, while low rates of exclusive breastfeeding still persist. Poor infant and young child feeding practices combine with childhood infections impair learning capacity, lower productivity, and raise infant and child morbidity and mortality. Given the estimated total fertility rate of 4 children per woman, access to emergency obstetric care remains a major challenge for rural and outer-island communities. Data from several countries showed that about one third of women attending antenatal care clinics had at least one sexually transmitted infection; and women less than 25 years old had higher rates of infection. Adolescent pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reflect the prevalence of unsafe sex, a potential driver of an explosive epidemic. Currently, 14 per cent of Pacific children do not enroll in primary school. Of those children who enroll, 18 per cent never reach grade 5. Average transition to secondary schools stands at 81 per cent. Numeracy and literacy rates are falling in a number of countries, and the appropriateness of national curriculum is being questioned. Very few schools in the region are able to cater for children with disabilities. Twenty per cent of the Pacific population is aged between 15 and 24 years, and this age group has the most challenging demand for access to education, health and employment opportunities. Eighteen per cent of young men and 19 per cent of young women (aged 16-24 years) are unemployed across the region. Legislation and law enforcement to cope with the rising incidence of child abuse and domestic violence require strengthening throughout the Pacific. While all independent country Governments in the Pacific have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and most have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, few countries have begun aligning policies and laws to Convention articles.
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