This report from UNICEF discusses the state of world’s children and points out that when it comes to the development and survival of children, odds are stacked against those from the poorest and most disadvantaged households.
The report notes that the world has made tremendous progress in reducing child deaths, getting children into school and lifting millions out of poverty. However, the report continues to state that there needs to be a concerted commitment to progress. Furthermore, if there is not a commitment to accelerate progress, by 2030:
Almost 70 million children may die before reaching their fifth birthdays – 3.6 million in 2030 alone, the deadline year for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Children in sub-Saharan Africa will be 10 times more likely to die before their fifth birthdays than children in high-income countries.
Nine out of 10 children living in extreme poverty will live in sub-Saharan Africa.
More than 60 million primary school-aged children will be out of school – roughly the same number as are out of school today. More than half will be from sub-Saharan Africa.
Some 750 million women will have been married as children – three quarters of a billion child brides. These vast inequities and dangers do more than violate the rights and imperil the futures of individual children. They perpetuate intergenerational cycles of disadvantage and inequality that undermine the stability of societies and even the security of nations everywhere. More than ever, we should recognize
This report also examines child poverty and the role social protection programmes play in reducing it.
