The Sudanese child
Based on the 2006 Sudan Household Health Survey, Sudan's population is estimated at 40 million, of which half are children - 5.9 million of these are aged under five years. Latest estimates indicate an under-five mortality rate of 112 deaths per 1,000 live births, an infant mortality rate of 81 deaths per 1,000 live births and maternal mortality ratio of 1,107 deaths per 100,000 live births. 68 per cent of children have not been fully immunized. A high disease burden and inadequate health services leave children exposed to the risks of acute watery diarrhoea, malaria, measles and other preventable diseases. Some 41 per cent of children under the age of five are underweight, with 45 per cent suffering from stunting. 40 per cent of the population does not have access to clean water, with nearly 70 per cent not having access to adequate sanitation. Net primary school attendance rates are estimated at 53.7 per cent, and female adult illiteracy is estimated at 62 per cent. Less than 20 per cent of children complete primary education. An estimated 10,000 children remain associated with armed forces and groups. 36 per cent of girls marry before the age of 18, while female genital multilation and cutting affects 68 per cent of women and girls - mostly in the north of Sudan. Only 39 per cent of children have their births registered. Sudan has the highest number of internally displaced persons in the world - an estimated 6 million people are displaced, over 2 million of these in conflict-affected Darfur. Despite remarkable progress made for children in Sudan since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, these are the evident challenges to development as the country remains affected by lack of infrastructure, limited capacity and the ongoing conflict in Darfur.
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